The Way You Look At Me
by ceruleanblues
Summary: When love and hate collided, it was the best thing that ever happened to Troy Bolton and Sharpay Evans. A journey where two hearts meet with one emotion.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hi guys! Okay, so this is my first official Troypay fanfic and I just came to realize how incredibly hard it is to actually start a chapter, so I'm really applauding all the other writers out there who've written many marvelous fanfics and for inspiring me to write this one!  
This first chapter goes out to all of you!  
Enjoy!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 1**

**The dawn is breaking  
****A light shining through  
****You're barely waking  
****And I'm tangled up in you**

"Urgh! Leave me alone!" Sharpay Evans muttered, squeezing her eyes shut against the rays of light that streamed into the room. Her hand shot out to shut the really annoying alarm clock, only to find the bedside table empty. The ringing continued but she gave up searching for it. Plopping her pillow over her head, she lay flat on her stomach and growled, "Go away!"

Still it didn't stop, and her grumpiness grew even more. Her head was pounding as though hell had been let loose in it. Finally, in frustration, Sharpay sat up and immediately felt spears piercing through her skull.

_Damnit!_ She winced, falling back down onto the bed. _Too fast. Too fast._

As she gasped for air, trying to stabilize her breathing, she felt the world spinning. When the throbbing subsided, she slowly lifted her eyelids one at a time. Everything seemed blurry at first, but when her vision focused, she found herself staring at bright red numbers.

_Eight-thirty? Holy shit, I'm late for school!_

Sharpay flung her duvet aside and stood up. Suddenly she felt a pressing need to hurl. She ran to the bathroom, almost tripping over a pair of stilettos as she went. She knelt down in front of the toilet and threw up until she felt that there was nothing left. After pausing for a moment to gather her thoughts, she pulled the handle to flush all the fluids down.

_Did I eat something nasty last night?_ She wondered, trying to remember anything that had happened. She knew something wasn't right but her memory was hazy. _There was something about an after party…_

She wanted to stand up but her legs had turned to jelly. Using the counter as a support, she heaved herself up and stared at her reflection in the mirror.

The sight was horrifying. Sharpay couldn't even believe that she was looking at herself. Her face scrunched up in disgust at how her dark eye shadow had smudged and it made her look like a dreadful panda bear. Her blonde hair seemed to have morphed into a freaking bird's nest and her clothes smelt like beer and cigarettes.

_Great! If Mrs. Darbus ever needs a zombie, I can always try out for that part,_ she thought with a scowl. _Oh my God! Mrs. Darbus!_

Sharpay quickly brushed her teeth and zipped through her shower in record-breaking speed. Not bothering to scour her wardrobe for something to wear, she simply just pulled out the first two pieces of clothing she saw, threw on a glittery pink trucker's cap and a pair of boots. She quickly grabbed her bag and a bunch of keys on her study desk, and then rushed out of the house. Jumping into her sleek black convertible, she stuck the key in the ignition and tore down the road, thankful that there weren't many vehicles that morning.

A million thoughts were running through her mind as she drove.

_Okay, so I was at a party last night, and somehow I must've gotten drunk. Whoop-pe-di-doo, Sharpay! You haven't learned your lesson one bit, have you?_

She glanced up at the rearview mirror in time to see a rebellious smirk playing on her lips.

_So, then, at this party…what exactly happened there? How'd I manage to get wasted and then return home in one piece? _

Twenty minutes later, the school came into view. Hastily, she parked her car in an empty lot, grabbed her science project from the backseat, got out of the vehicle and locked it, racing down the pathway that led to the main entrance. She stopped short at the foot of the stairs when she saw a shadowy figure looming by the window. Already late for the second period, Sharpay didn't want to risk getting caught by Mrs. Dulaine, the Hall Administrator, who was so strict; nobody had ever managed to escape her eagle eyes before. Being caught would mean serving detention after school—and Sharpay couldn't afford tainting her perfect record just for that.

Thinking fast, she made a cut across the football field to go round the other entrance.

_I can't believe I'm doing this! I can't believe Ryan didn't even have the decency to wake me up! He'll be so dead by the time I'm done dealing with him!_

The back door was small and hidden behind a corner. Not many students knew about it but it was really handy for occasional late-comers. Sharpay shifted her bulky scientific model of a volcano in her arms and took a few deep breaths to regain her composure. She made a few minor adjustments to her outfit and cringed slightly.

_Oh, man! This is definitely not my day,_ she thought. In the midst of all the hustle, she'd pulled on a grungy pair of jeans and a soft pink hooded long-sleeved tunic. It was something she only wore for her other activities but never to school. _There's nothing I can do about it now, can I?_

Gently, Sharpay pushed the door open, praying silently that the rusty hinges wouldn't creak. Besides having sharp eyes, Mrs. Dulaine also had sharp ears. Cautiously, she poked her head in and found herself in the janitor's closet. The room smelt musty, and it was hideously decorated with cobwebs and thick layers of dust. There were pails and brooms and other relevant cleaning equipment.

_Funny, they have cleaning supplies in here but they never bothered to clean the room._

Suddenly, Sharpay heard the sound of brisk footsteps coming closer and she froze. She saw the familiar plump figure of a woman through the small translucent porthole and held her breath, keeping as still as possible. Mrs. Dulaine paused for a moment before walking away. Sighing in relief, Sharpay waited for a few more seconds just to be sure, suppressing a shudder, then held her hand out and turned the knob. After making sure that there wasn't anybody in sight, she tiptoed down the corridor towards the lockers.

Sharpay examined her science project for damages before charging to her classroom. She took an abrupt turn at a corner and collided straight into a hunk of muscles. The object flew out of her hands and she landed on the floor with a loud thump.

"Ow!" she yelped, rubbing her sore back.

"Hey, watch where you're going next time, Evans!"

Sharpay glanced up to see Troy Bolton glaring down at her as he nursed his right arm. Her anger flared and it took a lot of will power to prevent her from kicking him where it would hurt. "Watch where I'm going? You've got some nerve there, Bolton! You're the one who came banging into me without the decency to apologise and—"

He held up both his hands. "Whoa—I came _banging_ into you? And I have to apologise? Obviously you were the one who wasn't looking—"

Jumping to her feet, Sharpay fumed. "I had something in my hands, in case you haven't noticed, which by the way, thanks to you is ruined now!"

"Oh, so now it's my fault that you were carrying that shit around?"

"What the fuck, Bolton!" she raged on.

**Even the best fall down sometimes  
****Even the wrong words seem to rhyme**

He simply just raised his eyebrow, regarding her with amusement. His exasperation was gone, replaced by a smug grin on his lips. Troy studied her up and down, and then nodded in approval before traveling back up to meet her eyes His gaze was intense and she got lost in the many emotions swimming in those two pools of molten cerulean blues. She was caught off guard by all of it, and involuntarily took a step back. He kept his eyes glued to hers, and she felt a stab of fear running down her spine, unsure of what he was going to do to her.

"Stop looking at me like that," she said through gritted teeth.

"Like what?"

Sharpay tilted her head back, her stare unfaltering. Something was up with Troy, though she didn't know what. But there was just something in the way he was looking at her with traces of tenderness that made her insides squirm.

"Bolton—"

"You don't have to try and deny it, Sharpay. I know you couldn't resist me," he continued. This voice dropped down to a whisper when he said, "I'll take that as a compliment."

Sharpay's mouth hung open. He thought she was hitting on him! "I can't believe you—you egotistical jerk! You must've done some serious damage to your head for thinking that I'd actually—"

He laughed heartily. "Oh, come on. You know you want me," he said huskily.

"Not even if you're the last male specimen in the entire universe!" she spat out.

"That's not what you said last night."

**I'm quiet you know  
****You make a first impression  
****I've found I'm scared to know I'm always on your mind**

"What are you talking about? First, you came bulldozing into me and then you accused me of trying to get into your pants—wait—what about last night?"

Troy's eyebrows sprung up. "Who said anything about sex?"

Sharpay was getting sick and tired of his mindless games. "What about last night?" she repeated, her tone more venomous with each word.

He tried to take her hand but she pulled away, blinking hard. Part of her was freaking out as possibilities began swarming into her mind. Did something bad happen between Troy and her? People say you're most honest when you're drunk, but Sharpay wasn't sure if it was the best state she'd ever been in. Being honest meant telling the truth and that wasn't exactly something she wanted to share with anyone—at least not yet.

"Shar—"

"Don't call me that! What happened last night between us, Troy?"

"You mean…you don't remember?" he murmured, suddenly seeming really fascinated with the floor. He stood there, awkward and uncomfortable, and Sharpay had a sinking feeling that it wasn't going to be good news.

Troy was hesitating, not entirely sure if he wanted to tell her everything. She was known to be quite a violent person who might just end up breaking a few of his limbs, and he needed his arms and legs for basketball. So maybe if she couldn't remember anything, it was best he'd rather not mention about that night.

"Hey! Why aren't you kids in class?"

Both Sharpay and Troy turned to see Mrs. Dulaine marching up to them with that grim expression on her face. She had a fashion sense that went way beyond vintage and the huge pair of specs that hung from the thick chain dangled down to her waistline. Her bleach blonde hair was held up in a tight bun without a single strand out of place, in contrast to her cherry red lipstick.

"Er…well you see, we, uh…well—" Troy began lamely.

"Do you each have a hall pass?" Mrs. Dulaine asked monotonously.

"No, we don't."

Sharpay was clenching her fist, trying to refrain herself from severely injuring Troy for his wit—or lack thereof. He was a terrible liar, and for someone who had supposedly stolen the lead character from her brother in the previous play, Troy was a bad actor as well.

_Mrs. Darbus would faint if she were to see this._

"Well then, I guess that means you've each earned for yourself detention with me this afternoon. See you there," Mrs. Dulaine said without any emotion and walked off.

Immediately, Sharpay jumped onto Troy's case. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

"I couldn't lie to her, Sharpay! My dad's the coach!" he yelled back in frustration.

"Well, fine!" she snapped, picking up her wrecked science project. "Thanks a lot, Bolton!"

**Out of the doubt that fills my mind  
****I somehow find  
****You and I collide**

* * *

**A/N:** Song used—"Collide" by Howie Day. 


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Wohoo! I've re-written this chapter so many times, I thought I was never going to get it right! But I did! And here it is!  
Hope you like it!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 2**

**She's cold and she's cruel  
But she knows what she's doin'**

"Get the hell out of my way!" Sharpay yelled to some innocent students who happened to be unlucky enough to loiter in the hallway. Terrified students instantly parted for her as she pranced towards her locker, where her twin brother, Ryan was already waiting.

"Hey, Shar," he said brightly with a ridiculous grin on his face.

"Fuck off, Ryan!" she spat out.

"Good to see you too," he replied, unfazed, leaning against the locker next to hers. Ryan was already accustomed to her outlandish mood swings and sudden outbursts; it didn't affect him anymore because he knew she wasn't like that all the time.

"What do you want?" she demanded, pulling out some books from her locker.

"Where were you last night? I tried calling you about a million times and you didn't even pick up a single one."

Sharpay decided she wasn't going to answer him.

"Where were you?" he asked again, this time a bit more forceful.

"Damnit, Ryan! I'm sixteen! I don't need you to _baby-sit_ me!" she retorted.

His gaze dropped to the floor, and immediately she felt guilty for yelling at him. Ryan had always been protective of her. He felt that it was his job to look over her twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Ever since they'd found out the truth about themselves five years ago, he'd made the role of a mum and dad a responsibility for himself. Sharpay hadn't meant to shout, but it had been a very long day for her and she was incredibly grumpy, to say the least. All she wanted to do was curl up in her bed and forget the past few hours ever existed.

"I'm sorry, Ry," she murmured. "It's just…I'm really tired right now and last night is the last thing that I want to talk about. I'd rather not remember anything."

Her brother nodded, and she knew he understood her. "That's fine, Shar. You can tell me when you're ready."

"Thanks."

**She's a mystery  
She's too much for me**

"Carmen called this morning. She needs you down tomorrow for the party," he paused to check her reaction. His sister had an almost undetected smile ghosting on her lips, though her copper eyes reflected some kind of fondness. "You're going, aren't you?"

"Duh! Of course I'm going!" Sharpay said, returning to her icy self before adding with a gentle tone, "I've made my promise to Lily." Then she sighed and shut the door. "I'd better get going now. Don't wait up for me after school, alright?"

"Why?"

"Bloody detention."

"What? Ice Queens don't _get_ detentions—" he was cut off when Sharpay gave him one of her glares.

"Thank you very much, Ryan."

Just then the bell rang, and Sharpay spun on her heels, trudging for the last class of the day—English. She was really dreading it and the thought of skipping it altogether was deliciously tempting. Her mind was screaming for her to turn around and just bail while she still could, but something was luring her in, as if a magical force already had a leash on her.

The moment Sharpay stepped into the classroom, her eyes landed on one person—the one person she really didn't feel like seeing. Mentally, she cursed her sense of sight for betraying her, but no matter how hard she tried, she found herself unable to look away.

As though sensing her presence, he looked up and their gazes interlocked. She felt her insides bubbling all over again, and wondered if it was possible to detest anyone more than how she detested him at that point of time. He was trying to manipulate her, to twist her mind to his liking, and she knew he was pushing her buttons where he knew would intimidate her. However, if acting for almost all her life had taught her something, it was to mask out her true feelings. Involuntarily, she shivered under the intensity found in his blue eyes, but there was absolutely no way Sharpay Evans was going down without a fight. Unperturbed, she glowered back at him.

"Ms. Evans, would you like to take your seat?"

She tore her eyes from Troy, not realizing that Ms. Panabaker had entered the room and was standing behind her with a lopsided grin. Frowning, Sharpay muttered an apology before walking over to her seat, fully aware of the many pairs of eyes on her. She felt the blood swooshing to her face as she sat down self-consciously.

"Alright class, we'll be doing a bit of creative writing today," Ms. Panabaker told the class, taking everyone's attention away from the slightly embarrassed blonde.

However, even as Sharpay was facing the front, trying to listen, she could feel his eyes penetrating the back of her head and she shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

**She runs on 100 proof attitude power  
And the more she ignores me  
The more I adore her**

"You'll be given forty-five minutes to do an expressive piece on an emotion—any emotion that you're feeling right now. The best essay will be sent to compete for the Junior Creative Writers Award, which is one of the top prestigious awards for any budding writers out there. Have fun!"

Sharpay couldn't be bothered about some stupid award. Whipping her head around, she found Troy still staring at her. Her eyes narrowed to slits and her anger just continued to mount.

She had made a decision over lunch to completely obliterate any thoughts or doubts pertaining to last night's ordeal. She wasn't going to give a rat's ass about it and was more than delighted to pretend nothing had somehow changed between Troy and her. If it had anything to do with him, she'd rather not know, but her frustrations ran wild and high every time she thought about the position he was putting her in.

Turning back to her desk, she took out her sparkly pink pen and began writing furiously.

_Anger and hatred could be summarized as an emotion, and emotion in turn holds enormous power…_

* * *

Sharpay was just finishing her last sentence when the bell rang, signaling the end of school. All around her, the students began shuffling out of the classroom but she stayed put for another minute or so, proof-reading her essay.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then, Troy!" a sickly sweet voice squealed in an incredibly piercing pitch, followed by an oh-so-fake giggle.

_Oh. My. God. Shut up, already!_

Recognising who it was, Sharpay rolled her eyes, then quickly glanced over her shoulder just as Gabriella Montez, Troy's current girlfriend and all-round pain-in-the-ass Math genius, was planting a clumsy kiss on the corner of his lips.

_I think I'm going to barf again._

At that moment, Troy lifted his eyes and stared right at Sharpay. He caught her stealing a glimpse and leered. Huffing, Sharpay averted her line of vision back to her notepad.

**I just can't turn away  
I shouldn't see you but I can't move  
I can't look away**

Right from the first day Little Miss Perfect Gabriella stepped into East High, Sharpay knew the brunette was going to be nothing but trouble.

To begin with, Gabriella had stolen her limelight—the lead in Twinkletown. Secondly, ever since she'd started going out with Troy, she'd been bragging non-stop about their perfect little dates and how perfect life was suddenly, and what a frigging fairy tale everything seemed to her. It was nauseating to the ultimate core, and it was no wonder her best friend, Taylor McKessie, sort of abandoned her to hang out with Chad Danforth and his bunch basketball buddies, who, as time went, seemed to share the same dislike for his best friend's significant half. It was a pity though, how oblivious Gabriella was to all that. She could work out calculus problems as though she was reciting the alphabets, but when it came down to personal issues, she could be as dumb as chemistry was to Sharpay.

"Bye!"

Sharpay watched as Gabriella skipped out of the door and stuck her tongue out in a fake gag, then continued to read the rest of her essay before smiling down at it in satisfaction. She began gathering her things when suddenly she felt watched. Instinctively, she whipped around, and found her eyes locked with Troy's cerulean ones yet again. He was looking at her but his hands were busy stuffing books and papers into his backpack.

**Just so you know  
This feeling's taking control of me  
And I can't help it**

_Okay, that's it! What's his damn problem?_

Tearing her gaze away from him, Sharpay began walking up to the front of the classroom to hand in her essay, feeling him trailing after her, so she deliberately slowed down, waiting for the perfect timing to pounce.

_Three…two…one…_

"What's your fuckin' deal, Bolton?" she burst out, whirling around to face him, their noses only several inches away from touching.

He blinked, startled. "What?"

"Shouldn't you be ogling at someone else?" she hissed, every word oozing poison. "I suggest you'd better stop pinning your pretty little eyes on me, or I'll personally—"

"What made you think I was looking at you?" he asked calmly, arching an eyebrow.

**It's getting hard to be around you  
There's so much I can't say  
Do you want me to hide the feelings  
And look the other way**

"Oh, don't play dumb! I know you were staring at me!"

Troy scoffed at her, "someone's more self-obsessed than ever."

Sharpay's hazel eyes blazed with the fury of a hurricane, threatening to knock down anything in her way.

_That son of a bitch!_

"Self-obsessed? Your eyes were practically glued to me all through the entire class!"

"Don't flatter yourself, Evans. I wasn't looking at you!"

"Oh, so I was just imagining it?" she said sarcastically, placing one hand on her hip.

"Possibly," he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Funny, Bolton, then I must've had something incredibly interesting tattooed on my forehead!"

"Actually, it's a zit."

Sharpay looked horrified as she fished out a compact mirror from her bag. Frantically, she checked her reflection for any ugly blemishes but her face was flawless—as usual. Just then, she realized what he had done and her head snapped up to find him, only he was already gone. Sharpay was raging inside, the blood in her veins burning like molten lava as she seethed.

**Thought you should know  
I've tried my best to let go of you  
But I don't want to  
I just gotta say it all  
Before I go  
Just so you know**

_Damn, I hate him!_

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, so here's where all the extra credits and sorts come in…Obviously, I couldn't have done this chapter without getting help. Firstly, I'd like to thank EVERYBODY who's taken tireless time and effort to actually read my fanfic, and an even BIGGER thanks to those who had reviewed! Your support is what keeps me going!

**AlwaysxAddicted: **You were the first to review! So you'll be the first I reply to :D Thanks a lot!! Hope you'll enjoy this update!

**Xamyxjx: **Thank you so much! I'm really glad you loved the first chapter…it means a lot to me, and it also means that my days and hours of trying to get the story started had paid off! Hope you'll enjoy this update!

**X0emz0x: **Thanks! Hope you'll like this chapter!

**AshleyZac4life: **Thank you so much!

**Zoey24: **Thanks a lot! Hopefully you'll like this update!

**The Summer Breeze: **Oh. My. God. Thank you so much!! I've never thought I'd actually be someone's favourite story or author! You've truly made my day! It means so much to me! Don't worry, I've tried my best to make this chapter as best I could…Hope you'll enjoy it!

**Heyhello: **Thank you so much! I love your fanfics by the way! Hope you'll like this update!

My inspiration for the party came from **"Icebergs and Ice Queens" by pottergrl15**. It's truly a magical story. There will be plots later on with a somewhat similar theme to it, so if you haven't read that story yet, it would be great if you do!

The line "someone's more self-obsessed than ever" was partially taken from **"Passionate Seductions" by ready anf**, another amazing story—so hot and sexy!

Songs used—"Just the Girl" by The Click Five & "Just so you Know" by Jesse McCartney.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Oh, God! This chapter almost gave me a heart attack! Firstly because the emotions I want to portray are so difficult to convey through words, and secondly because I'm such a perfectionist, I couldn't settle on a proper way to phrase everything!  
However, I told myself I needed to get this done or I'd never be able to continue the story!  
Hope you guys enjoy this!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues 

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 3**

**You walk in and my strength walks out the door  
****Say my name and I can't fight it any more  
****Oh I know, I should go  
****But I need your touch just too damn much**

Sharpay strode into detention and saw that Troy was already there, seated by the windows. He had an elbow on the desk and one hand supporting his head as he bit on the tip of his pen. His forehead was creased and he seemed to be deep in concentration, possibly trying to crack a math problem.

_I can see where that's the trouble. It must be difficult trying to think with a brain the size of a pea!_

"Well, Ms. Evans! Nice of you to grace us with your presence. Why don't you take a seat in front of Mr. Bolton instead of just standing there staring at him, and occupy yourself with something more useful for a change?"

_What the hell!_ Sharpay thought as Ms. Dulaine gave her a pointed look from above her glasses. It was the second time that day she'd been humiliated by a teacher, but she refused to be brought down—not in front of a lunkhead basketball player.

"With great pleasure," she replied haughtily.

Raising a perfectly sculpted brow, Sharpay turned her head to face Troy, who was smirking at her, clearly amused. Undeterred, she glared back at him and immediately he went back to doing whatever it was that he'd been working on earlier. Feeling satisfied with herself, Sharpay flounced over to the empty seat, deciding on what she was going to do for the next two hours.

_History? Wait, I've already done that during Chemistry. Math? Hmm…I don't think so! Literature? Urgh, fuck Shakespeare!_

Then, Sharpay realized she had absolutely nothing to do since she'd already completed all her schoolwork and she seriously didn't want to get some advanced reading done for tomorrow's class. Those things were for the nerds, or the brainiacs like Gabriella and Taylor. Ice Queens and education just didn't go together.

_One hour and fifty minutes more_, she frowned, glancing at the clock on the wall. _Yippee…_

_This is all Bolton's fault! If he hadn't been such a goddamn goody-two-shoes and a bloody lousy liar, I wouldn't even be in this mess! He came slamming into me, destroyed my science project, which had taken me ages to complete without even saying sorry and got me in detention! The nerve he had this morning, thinking I'm trying to seduce him into sleeping with me! That narcissistic hormonal-imbalanced wanker! Who does he think he is, anyway?_

Sharpay was so furious, she wasn't even aware of how tightly she was clenching her fists till she felt her nails digging into her skin. Her head felt hot and her shoulders were tensed, but all she saw in her head was the image of Troy Bolton being hit by a speeding bullet train.

_If I could just get my hands on him, I'd—_

Suddenly, a phone rang and Sharpay feared it was hers. Slowly, as undetectably as possible, she reached for her cell in her bag, and found that it wasn't ringing. Puzzled, she whipped around to look at Troy, who was wearing the exact expression she had masked on her face. If it wasn't his phone then…

"Yes, yes…what? I don't recall anybody telling me it's today…yes…sure, I'll be there."

Ms. Dulaine cleared her throat, then stood up and started packing her items. "I'm sorry you two. I'm supposed to attend a staff meeting in five minutes, so I have to go right now."

"Does it mean detention's cancelled?" Sharpay asked, full of hope.

"On the contrary, Ms. Evans," the teacher said sternly. "You'll both carry on serving your detention as per normal."

"You're leaving us alone?" Troy spoke up from behind her.

"Why, yes. I trust that the both of you would be responsible enough."

_Responsible enough? Oh, she's going to be in for it if I get charged for murder._

"I'll be back by four-thirty tops, so I'll expect the both of you to be here when I'm done with it," she stated, then hurried out of there without another word. The sound of the door closing echoed through the classroom.

Sharpay sighed. _Well, might as well get some writing done while I'm free._

Sharpay began rummaging into her bag and pulled out her bright pink notebook trimmed with fur at the edges. All of a sudden, she felt like penning down her thoughts. She had so much pent up emotions in her body; she just felt that she needed some release. With so much time left to spare, she might as well make full use of it.

She was flipping through the book when something fell from between the pages and onto the floor. She blew out some frustrated air and bent down to retrieve it. Just as her fingers grazed the article she froze at the sight of a pair of sneakers just centimeters from her nose.

Her uplifted eyes took in the semi-wrinkled dark blue jeans, the tapering torso half-hidden beneath the un-tucked red shirt though the six hard bumps were distinct, traveling further north till her eyes locked with a pair of deep blue ones, fringed with mahogany copper hair. Squatting down, Troy picked up the piece of paper with a curious tilt of his head.

"What's this?"

**Might be a mistake  
****A mistake I'm makin'  
****But what your givin' I am happy to be takin'**

Sharpay jolted back to reality upon realizing what he'd discovered, and tried to snatch the paper out of his hands but to no avail. He was a good few inches taller than her even with her heels on. "It's none of your damn business, Bolton," she said through gritted teeth. "Give it back to me."

"Why should I?" he asked, his lips forming a devious grin.

"I don't owe you a reason!" she spat out, jumping to her feet.

Troy winced melodramatically. "God, Sharpay. You don't have to be so icy!"

"News flash, smart ass. I _am_ the Ice Queen," she retorted and lunged forward to grab the paper, but his reflexes were way too fast for her.

He slapped the heel of his free hand against his forehead. "How could I forget that?"

Sharpay planted her hands on her hips and glared menacingly at him. "Give it back to me, Bolton, or else—"

"Or else what? You'll freeze me with your ice powers?"

"I'll hurt you so bad you'll be having your meals from a tube," she threatened.

Something told Troy that she probably would, but he enjoyed messing around with her head, and seeing how far he could go before she really blew up. In a twisted and disturbing way, he loved the little game they were playing.

"What is this thing that you're so secretive about, anyway?" He lowered it slightly to read. "No one ever saw me like you do—"

She took a precarious step forward. "I'm warning you, Bolton!"

"All the things that I could add up to—" he went on, completely ignoring her subtle threat.

"That's enough, Troy! Give it back!" Sharpay shouted and began advancing on him with the slow measured gait of a predatory animal about to devour its prey, her hazel eyes bearing the ferocity of a lioness.

"Are these lyrics?" he asked rhetorically, seeming composed and unruffled, though inside he was slightly terrified of what she might be capable of doing. "Because if they are, you might want to think of just tearing this up or burning it or—"

_How dare he!_

Her temper flared. With a hard shove, Sharpay pinned Troy against the wall, seizing handfuls of his shirt and catching him completely off-guard. Her face was alarmingly close to his and she could feel their warm breaths mingling. "Shut your fuckin' pie hole, Bolton! You have no idea what you're talking about," she spat out, so enraged that she just wanted to hurt him in every way possible.

His face, as he stared back at her, was a façade of audacity. "Oh, yeah? Enlighten me."

"I'd rather spend my time talking to a wall!" she retorted.

"Well, that's too bad. You did a _terrific_ job keeping me entertained last night."

It was a dirty comeback, one only Troy Bolton would use, for he knew something that she didn't—at least one that she couldn't remember a zilch about, and it pissed her off, how easily he'd managed to push her buttons. He was toying with her mind—that scheming bastard—and he knew just how to get her caught in his web of sick games. She hated it.

She hated _him_.

"That's really low, Bolton, even for you."

He had hit a nerve—and he knew it. Using Sharpay's momentary distraction as an advantage, Troy reversed their roles and became the aggressor. With a strangling sound, he took both her wrists in fists of iron and spun them around, pushing her into the wall with his body. The impact caused Sharpay to gasp in shock, and he saw her swallow hard.

**Lovin' you,  
****That isn't really something I should do  
****I shouldn't wanna spend my time with you yeah  
****Well I should try to be strong**

"Do you even want to know what happened last night?" he asked thickly, his breathing labored.

She fought to get out of his tight grip. "No, Troy. I was drunk."

"You knew what you were doing," he murmured, thrusting his hips forward to make his meaning abundantly clear.

Sharpay almost choked at the lust that clouded in Troy's eyes, and she knew she had to get out of there. He released her, but what initial plans she had suddenly flew out of the window as she felt his skillful fingers gently massage her sides. An unintentional whimper escaped her throat—one so erotic, mixed with ache and pleasure—that she had to squeeze her eyes shut to concentrate on breathing normally. Torn between frustration and arousal, Sharpay had to bit on her lower lip to stop herself from calling out his name.

She detested him with all her soul, but she didn't know what it was about Troy Bolton that turned her on. The feel of his skin against hers was so familiar, yet she didn't know why. Her body was totally acquiescent, and he was more than thrilled to know that he had such an effect on such an untouchable, gorgeous female.

Thankfully, her mind clung on to a remnant of reason. "Troy, stop it—now!"

"You know you want it, Sharpay," he whispered in her ear, then buried his face into side of her neck. His tongue lightly sponged the kisses he left behind, tasting the unique delicacy of her satiny skin. His dewy lips nuzzled the softness, and Sharpay felt herself weakening again.

_Oh sweet Lord!_

**'Cuz no ones ever made me feel  
****The way I feel when I'm in your arms  
****They say you're something I should do without  
****They don't know what goes on  
****When the lights go out**

"Troy, please."

He didn't say anything. Trailing his hands tantalizingly—seductively—lower down to her thighs, he let them do the talking. Sharpay let out a low hiss, her eyelids slamming closed as he began tracing patterns with his fingertips. She was suffused with heat, as though she had been caressed by the devil.

"Sharpay—"

Her eyes flew open, suddenly realizing what they were doing. It was wrong, so wrong! She shoved him forcefully, ready to give him a piece of her mind. However, before she could do anything else, his mouth came down hard on hers.

She fought him like a wildcat, squirming and wriggling, clawing and slapping at him, pushing against his unyielding chest. His kisses were brutal. His mouth twisted over hers, forcing her lips to part and admit his tongue. Sharpay tried to drag her mouth free of his attacking lips, but to no avail. Her screams were nothing but muffled cries, that couldn't much be differentiated from a blissful moan.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Troy Bolton?"

She slapped him. Hard. Somehow, somewhere along her struggle, she'd managed to escape his strong embrace. It was the first time Sharpay had ever struck anyone in her entire life, and she was shocked to see her handprint form on his cheek. She wouldn't have believed she had done it if her palm hadn't been stinging like a thousand pinpricks, but she felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction from it.

**I know all about,  
****Yeah, 'bout your reputation  
****And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation  
****But I can't help it if I'm helpless  
****Every time that I'm where you are**

Whirling around, Sharpay began gathering her belongings into her arms.

"Where are you going?"

She froze briefly at the sound of his voice. "Out of here."

"What about Ms. Dulaine?"

"Tell her I'm not feeling well or something, I don't give a damn," she said, heading for the door. She twisted the knob, but just as she was about to leave, she turned to face him one last time, before adding, "Unless you want to tell her the truth."

"Sharpay—"

She didn't want to hear it. Without another backward glance, she walked out of the room.

**But baby you're the right kind of wrong  
****Yeah baby you're the right kind of wrong**

* * *

Unleashing the fury of a thousand storms, Sharpay thundered into the huge mansion. One by one, the richest vocabulary found in the dictionary flew out of her mouth. With a frustrated cry, she slammed the heavy oak door behind her, the force of the blow causing the walls to reverberate.

"Ryan!"

Her yell echoed throughout the house, loud enough to wake up the dead. There wasn't any reply, and she knew at once that he was watching his favourite afternoon soap opera. Sharpay marched into the living room. Exactly as predicted, she saw him sitting on the sofa, his eyes glued to the television screen, watching intently as one of the characters said something dramatic before pulling the trigger of the gun that was pointing to her head. Carelessly, she threw her pink bag aside. It hit her twin brother on the side of his head with stunning accuracy.

"Ow!" he howled.

"This is all your fault!" she blew up.

Ryan rubbed the nape of his neck in uncertainty. "Er…I'm sorry?"

"Really?" She wasn't convinced at all as she planted her hands on her hips.

"Hey, it was _your_ Prada which hit _my_ head."

The wailing and whining noises in the background were starting to get on Sharpay's nerves, and she wasn't a really patient person. Bending forward, she snatched the remote from Ryan's hand and turned off the television.

"I was watching that!" he protested.

"I cannot believe you, Ryan Evans!" Sharpay said, throwing her hands up in the air.

His face scrunched up in confusion. "What did I do?"

"You got me into this shit!"

"Oh, I _so_ know what you're talking about, Shar," Ryan told her sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Please continue."

"Detention!"

His expression turned a wee bit sympathetic. "Didn't go too well?"

"You think?" she shot back. "I'm home an hour early to escape that prison. Yup, detention went _brilliantly_!"

"Come on, it couldn't have been _that_ bad."

Sharpay crossed her arms and began pacing back and forth. "I was stuck in a classroom all alone with Troy Bolton of all people in the world. And he's by far the most self-centered artistic philistine I've ever had the misfortune to meet! Gee, how bad can _that_ be?"

Ryan had to bite the insides of his cheeks to suppress the laughter. His sister could be such a Drama Diva when she wanted to be. "You're right, it's worse."

"And it's your damn fault, Ryan!" she shrieked, turning on her heels.

"How's that _my_ fault?"

"I was late for school because you didn't wake me up this morning!"

"You didn't tell me what happened last night!" he challenged.

"Nothing happened!" Sharpay shouted.

His face turned bitter, and she knew he didn't buy it one bit. Ryan's his twin brother. If there's one thing he's incredibly good at, it was reading her mind. Sharpay could see the hurt and disappointment in his eyes when he said, "Could've fooled me, Shar. You stumbled in, all wasted and I had to carry you up to your room. I asked you what happened and you just told me to fuck off."

"I was drunk, Ryan! I woke up with a hung-over. How'd you expect me to remember anything!"

Suddenly, Sharpay felt a stab of pain in her chest and began coughing violently, wincing when the burning feeling in her throat became too unbearable.

"Shar!"

**You were always by my side  
****That you believed in me was enough reason why**

In an instant, Ryan shot out of the sofa and frantically cupped her face in his. "Shar, are you okay?" he asked when she finally stopped coughing.

"Yeah, Ryan. I'm fine," she wheezed, attempting to give him a weak smile.

His eyes widened and Sharpay could see the horror and panic reflected in them. Before she could ask what was wrong, Ryan lifted a shaky hand and ran his thumb across the corner of her lips. The colour drained from his face as he stared at her with his mouth hung open.

"What—I—" he stuttered.

"Ry, what is it? Did my lipstick smudge?" she asked in a whisper.

"Shar…"

She saw the blood that stained his finger—her blood—and her body went rigid. Her breathing turned shallow, a chill ran down her spine, and tears began to cloud her vision. Sharpay and Ryan glanced at each other, both knowing the truth.

**I didn't stop, didn't give up  
****Even if I sometimes lost hope**

"Ryan, I'm scared."

Unable to control her tears any longer, Sharpay launched herself into her brother's waiting arms and cried into his shoulder.

"It's going to be alright, Shar. It's going to be alright."

**I owe it to you  
****That I'll make it through  
****I never could've done it  
****Without you**

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** Wohoo! Credits time! Once again, a huge thank you to everyone who'd graciously taken their time reading my story. It's not anything "WOW" worthy so I sincerely apologise if after all this you've realized I've just wasted your time. P.S: No offence to anybody who loves Shakespeare. In fact, I did one of his plays for my Literature exams.

**Charmarctravis:** I didn't manage to reply to you when you reviewed my first chapter. Usually, I'd reply to them all at once and then upload the story, but nonetheless, I didn't forget about you :D Thank you so much! Yeah, Sharpay would've lied but then if she did, they wouldn't end up in detention…hehe…Well, I've decided that she could ask Ryan about it in this chapter. Troy would've told her the truth, but I guess she'd rather not know…for now…hehe…

Hope you like this update!

**Ayeshax:** Hie! Thanks a lot! Truthfully, I'm not even sure what kind of style my writing is…haha…hope you like this update!

**AshleyZac4life:** Hmm…I wonder what they did too winks Hope this update gave you some kind of hint :P

**Heyhello:** Hie! Well, this update doesn't exactly give away much of what happened between Troy and Sharpay, but there are implications and it'll unfold bit by bit…dum dum dum…Haha…I love cruel Sharpay as well because it's just so fun to play around with what she's going to say and stuff…

**Xamyxjx:** Aww…thank you so much!! Love you loads too! You guys really gave me the will to continue writing! Hope you'll like this update:D

**AlwaysxAddicted:** Thank you so much! It feels really good that there are people out there who appreciate what I write. Hehe…enjoy this chapter!

**Stessa:** Thanks a lot! Hope you'll like this update!

**Tammii92:** Hie! Thank you so much! Hopefully you'll enjoy this update!

**The Summer Breeze:** Thanks a lot! Haha…well, this update might not tell you much, but hopefully it'll get your imagination running and an idea of what happened between them, and what other secrets Sharpay's hiding…Hope you like it though!

My inspiration for the detention scene came from **"No Conditions" by Secretcastle**. I love how twisted and realistic that story is! It's a completely honest fanfic and I simply adore it! The line "Ohshe's going to be in for it if I get charged for murder" is partially taken from that story as well.

The line "Unless you want to tell her the truth" is partially taken from **"East High Presents: Moulin Rouge" by xxForbiddenFruitxx**. I totally love that fanfic! I have a hard copy of it, for me to read whenever I'm on the bus or on my way to school.

The line "She was suffused with heat, as though she had been caressed by the devil" is taken from **"Riley in the Morning" by Sandra Brown**. I love that book because it's so easy to read without having to think so much.

Songs used — "Right Kind of Wrong" by LeAnn Rimes & "Destiny" by Katherine McPhee


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Haha…finally! This chapter's taking super long to write, and I sincerely apologise for the wait. It's crazy because I've written down the major stuff on paper but I didn't stick to it at all. God, it was frustrating and the last bit was done in a rush so I'm sure you guys can tell the difference.  
Well, anyway, hope you enjoy this update!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 4**

**Well if you wanted honesty,  
****That's all you had to say.  
I never want to let you down or have you go,  
****It's better off this way. **

"Thanks, Ry. I'll see you at home, okay? Take care. Bye, I love you!" Sharpay said in one breath and leaned across the driver's seat to give her brother a quick peck on the cheek. Opening the door, she got out in such a hurry that she almost tripped over her own two feet.

A hand that suddenly shot out to grab her wrist halted her in her tracks. Privately, she spat a curse for the lousy escape. The plan in which she'd carefully planned during the entire journey from her house to school went down the drain. She knew this was coming but she didn't want to face him at the moment. She just wasn't ready yet.

"Hey, hang on," Ryan said, tugging on her arm.

Sharpay angrily stomped one foot and pouted in defeat before sliding back into the car. "What is it?" she snarled.

"Are you sure about this, Shar?" Ryan asked for what seemed like the thousandth time that morning, angling her head gently with another hand so that she could see the concern splashed all over his face.

**I'm not okay  
I'm not okay  
Well, I'm not okay  
I'm not o-fucking-kay **

Unable to bear the uncertainty in his eyes, Sharpay glanced away. She heard him sigh and it sounded painful to her ears for she knew that Ryan loved and cared for her with all his life—maybe even more than that—but she also knew that she had to be strong for her own sake. Ever since they were born, he was the one to be there for her.

_But for how long?_

Somebody had to be the fighter between them.

_Ice Queens don't have feelings anyway._

Returning to her usual aloof façade, Sharpay rolled her eyes, looking as bored as she could and attempted a half-hearted scowl that thankfully went by unnoticed. "Yes, Ryan. We've been through this before and I'm fine."

**But you really need to listen to me  
Because I'm telling you the truth  
I mean this, I'm okay!**

"Okay, so do you remember what we've discussed last night?"

"How old do you think I am, Ryan? Ten?" she snapped, glaring at him.

"What?"

"My life doesn't depend on you!"

Almost as if she was on fire, he snatched his hand back and began gripping the steering wheel. Sharpay saw his jaw tighten, and the wounded look in his face made her heart collapse. She could've just stabbed him and it would've felt the same to her. Ryan was really worried for her, and that was how she repaid him.

_Smooth, Shar. Real smooth. Show your brother what a selfish and ungrateful little bitch you are._

"Ryan…"

"Don't. Just don't. Get out of here, Shar."

**You said you read me like a book  
****But the pages all are torn and frayed**

Instantly, she felt the tears burning at the back of her eyes, threatening to spill, but she couldn't cry. She wouldn't because it would mean she was surrendering to a weakness, and she knew he wouldn't understand why she was acting the way she was. She needed to block out everything—as though nothing in the world mattered to her but her own happiness—because only then could she convince herself that she was fine and that there was absolutely nothing wrong with her.

She needed him to see that.

"Ryan, please…"

"How do you always manage to do that, Shar?" he whispered, still not looking at her. "Why do you always treat me like a toy? I'm just there when you need me to take in all your fuckin' shit but when the novelty fades off; you step on me like I'm nothing to you."

"Ryan, I didn't mean to—"

"Save it, princess. Just go."

Sharpay drew back, completely stung. In all her life, she had never seen Ryan so angry at her like he was at that point of time and straight away she could tell it was nothing like before. He wasn't yelling at her, but his poise indicated more than she needed to know. This time, she'd crossed the line. She had completely driven him away.

Just like what she had wanted.

Just like what she had _needed_.

If only she could tell him why.

**What will it take to show you that it's not the life it seems?  
(I'm not okay)  
I told you time and time again you sing the words but don't know what it means  
(I'm not okay) **

_But Ice Queens don't need anybody in their lives anyway…_

**I'm not okay  
I'm not okay  
Well, I'm not okay  
I'm not o-fucking-kay**

Wordlessly, she got out of the car, unaware that tears were rolling down her cheeks.

* * *

"Argh!"

_What's wrong with you, Shar? Why won't you let me in?_ Ryan wondered in frustration as he thumped his head on the steering wheel. His hands were shaking uncontrollably from all the unhealthy feelings he had blazing his senses, and he was on the brink of tearing his hair and yelling his lungs out at the same time.

_Damnit, Sharpay! I'm your own brother!_

He simply couldn't understand her. Even though they were twins, he still wasn't able to tell what was on her mind, and she had refused to tell him anything. She was keeping all her problems and troubles to herself, and it was driving him crazy. She wouldn't let him know if she was hurting. She wouldn't even want to show it.

_But I care for you, Shar! I'm supposed to be there for you when you need me. Why can't you see that?_

Sharpay was pushing him away from her life, and day by day she was drifting further from someone who'd stuck by her regardless of the bruises and burns that he acquired along the way. He didn't mind, because he knew he was protecting her. It had always been his job—and even if it wasn't, Ryan had personally made it his.

_Do you know how worthless I feel, Shar? That you don't even trust me enough to tell me anything anymore?_

Ever since they were little kids, he'd been her comforter and her shoulder to cry on. She was a tough girl, and knew just when to defend herself. In kindergarten, she'd stand up to the bullies and tell them off whenever they started calling him mean things—all because he'd chose to be by her side and not play ball with the other boys.

_You'll have to face it one day, Shar—that you're just like anyone of us. You'll bleed when you fall. You'll crumble when you fail._

But in spite of all that outward pretense, Sharpay knew just when to run for shelter; one which she knew she'd find in her brother's waiting arms.

_How could she forget that?_

He'd seen through all her insecurities, and he'd been there to patch the broken pieces. He was the witness to everything that she'd never in her entire life showcase in school. He'd been with her for as long as he could even remember. Yet, she was doubting him this time, after all that he had done for her.

Suddenly, Ryan felt betrayed and he hated feeling that way. He hated the secrets. He hated how she was blatantly shutting herself out. He'd tried with his sister, to talk to her and let her know he was there, but it seemed like every time he'd managed to somehow get through to her, she'd always push him away.

And he hated that even more.

Anger pulsated through his body.

_Did she take delight in making me feel this way?_

"Goddamnit Shar!"

He was getting sick and tired of her stubborn ways to see reason with him. If she felt that she was going to be just fine without him, then let it be that way. If she wanted things to be distant and cold, then by all means he wasn't going to stop her anymore.

_Your life doesn't depend on me, Sharpay. Not anymore._

* * *

Sharpay burst through the door and a sudden hush rippled through the throng of student as she trudged towards her personalized pink locker down the hallway with a deep scowl on her face, still reeling from the major argument she had with her brother. Her golden blonde hair flew with each angry stride she took and her body language radiated with antagonism.

"What the hell are you looking at?" she yelled at a bunch of unsuspecting victims who were whispering at the corner, eyeing her like everyone else in school did.

Immediately, the group of girls made themselves look busy by flipping through their books, for fear of their lives. Sharpay could be a petulant tigress at times and people knew better than to cause any trouble.

After shooting countless glares along the way, Sharpay finally came to her locker, where she threw the door open and began to skillfully touch-up on her make-up. She really didn't need to, although there was a slight trace of moisture down her cheek but sometimes it was really tiring trying to look good all the time. Granted, Sharpay wasn't repulsive at first glance. If anything, she was beautiful and easily the kind of girl guys couldn't get enough of. Ryan had once said that he didn't understand why she had to put on all that junk on her face.

Sharpay's face contorted at the thought of her twin brother.

_I'll do what I want, Ryan._

Her smirk turned into a satisfied smile as she masked on her icy self again and blew a kiss to her reflection. Acting as though everything was all right just came naturally for her. It was a gift and she was thoroughly proud for such a blessing. She turned to get her textbooks when something came in contact with her delicate fingers.

"What's this?" she mumbled, pulling the package out.

It was a small blue envelope with her name scribbled on the front. She tilted her head, trying to identify the person by penmanship, but then gave up thinking and ripped the seal open, pulling a piece of paper out.

_Shar_

_Meet me by my car after school._

_We need to talk._

_Troy_

Sharpay rolled her eyes and crushed the note, chucking it carelessly into her locker.

_Great, now he's using nicknames?_

She knew this was coming but she really didn't feel like facing him. Talking was for wimps and she had better things to do. She just wanted to be alone, to sort things out, and to figure out what was going on in her life at the moment. Dealing with Troy Bolton was the last thing on her mind.

However, just as she was about to slam her locker shut, she realized that there was something else in the envelope.

* * *

Further down the hallway, Troy Bolton leaned sideways against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and watched her. Even though students were busy scrambling around, he could clearly see the blonde from where he stood hidden.

Ever since he'd slipped the envelope into her locker that morning, he'd been anticipating her reaction. Troy knew that it was probably a bad idea to start something but he couldn't help himself. He'd been staying up all night just trying to get her out of his dreams. His skin had been aching for her touch right from the second hers came in contact with his that night. Ever since that night, he'd never known how it felt like to be alive.

It had been different with Gabriella. Every time they had kissed, it meant nothing more than a friendly peck on the lips. Every time they had cuddled, it was nothing more than just a comforting hug. Somehow, their romance had never been more than a frizzled spark, but he'd hung on because she was a great girl to be with. Things were simple and nice, sugar-coated and sweet, not at all dramatic and emotional. It was fine that way.

Until he found out what it felt like to touch Sharpay.

**It's crazy but I'm falling apart,  
It's crazy how you're leaving me scarred,  
It's crazy girl wherever you are,  
you stole, my heart**

The proximity between them was a sin, but it only geared his excitement. Their caresses ought to be innocent but the smoldering fire that left a trail from where her fingertips had grazed were anything but. His name on her lips were like beautiful sighs uttered by angels from the heavens above. The intensity in their kisses couldn't be denied for thousands of years to come.

The way that she looked at him, he didn't know how to describe it.

However, what they had done, there weren't supposed to be any promises.

He wasn't supposed to feel this way.

**No man can live without blood running through his veins,  
(through his veins)  
and it's hard to remember the summer now here is rain  
I don't know how much longer that I can wait  
It's a feeling... between love and hate**

She was manipulative and always managed to frustrate the hell out of him. He hated her with each fiber in his body. She was constantly rude to him and somehow she had found a way to rouse his anger like nobody else could. She had the vehemence of a cyclone but yet…

There was just something so fuckin' gorgeous about Sharpay Evans.

Troy saw her ball up his note in her hands and suddenly he felt as if his heart had just flown with it into her locker. Turning his body, he propped his head against the wall and closed his eyes.

**It's crazy but I'm going insane,  
feeling lost confused and ashamed,  
It's crazy, hope you're feeling my pain,  
you stole, my heart**

_That's it…I've screwed up—big time._

"Yo, Troy!"

Whipping his head to the side, he spotted the massive cloud of hair bopping from above the sea of students and instantly recognised Chad. Troy groaned as he ran his fingers through his already disheveled hair. He didn't really feel like talking to Chad at that moment because he knew just how nosy his friend could be at times and all Troy wanted was to be left alone.

"Hey, man!" he said, giving his afro pal a high-five while trying to keep his grin as genuine and sincere as he could.

"Where've you been, dude? You're hardly even around to hang out anymore."

He had expected it. "I had detention yesterday."

"You serious?" Chad asked, his eyebrows shooting up.

Troy nodded solemnly.

"What for? Were you caught smooching Gabs?" Chad teased, nudging the other boy's side with his elbow before bursting out in snickers.

It wasn't even funny.

"Sharpay."

Chad almost choked on his saliva and the look on his face was so priceless, it was almost amusing to see. "What—How—You—What?!"

Troy rolled his eyes. "It's not what you think, Chad. The Ice Queen and I got into an argument in the middle of the hallway during class without a hall pass and Ms. Dulaine caught us. The end."

"Damn that bitch." Chad hissed.

"Which one? Sharpay or Ms. Dulaine?"

Chad didn't have the chance to answer him as he saw Gabriella heading towards them with her best friend, Taylor McKessie, in tow. Troy quickly plastered a charming smile on his face and took a step forward, only to have Gabriella shove him out of her way without even glancing at him. Then she simply sauntered off with her nose up in the air, leaving Taylor to give an apologetic shrug to Chad, motioning to him that she'd give him a call.

**I was feeling lost in my own world,  
Neglecting your needs only once girl**

Both boys stood there for a moment, trying to grasp what the hell just happened.

"What was that?" Troy wondered, breaking the silence.

"Gabriella's super pissed at you right now."

"What did I do?"

Chad gave his friend a pat on the shoulder. "I don't know, man, but you'd better go find out soon." Then he looked down at his wristwatch. "I should get going to first period. See you around," he said before jogging down the hallway.

A million different thoughts ran through Troy's mind but only one word rang high in his ears.

**Now It's the same sad story that we all know,  
How lovers make mistakes watch it all blow**

_Shit._

* * *

**A/N: **It's credits time again, hah! And I was wondering what would happen if I somehow forget this bit for my future chapters, then I realized I couldn't do without it. So firstly, thanks to everybody who had been reading my story, regardless of whether you've left a review or not, but hopefully I've stirred some kind of reaction from you. I'll be glad if I'd made you smile, I'll be amazed if I'd made you think, and I'll be really curious if I'd made you cry. Haha…

**AlwaysxAddicted: **Squeal Thank you so much! I'm glad that I've somehow done justice to the plot. Truth be told, I'm not really good with dealing with emotions of a character, but I'm working on it, so I'm thrilled you found that chapter intense! Hope you've enjoyed reading this update!

**The Summer Breeze: **Thank you so much!! Wohoo! I'm glad I've managed to make the story sexy! Always envied writers who could make my skin tingle but I've never really had the nerve to try :D Oh, and I was watching a few episodes of The OC the other day and I was wondering if you're pen name was based on Seth's boat:D

**AshleyZac4life: **Oh yes, Troy definitely wants this woman! Hehe…I'm glad you caught the last bit of the story and recovered from all that sexiness from the front. Something's happening to Sharpay but I won't tell you yet :P Hope you like this update!

**Actingalexis13: **Thanks for the review! When I was writing that bit, I had writer's block because I didn't know how to twist the story so it doesn't sound like No Conditions, although the starting is based on that. Thank you so much for the compliment! blush I'm not entirely sure how I want to portray Troy, but I'm writing his character based on my perspective on boys (at least the ones I know of). Hope you've enjoyed this chapter!

**Stessa: **Thank you so much for all your support! Hope you like this bit!

**Xstarglossx: **Wow!! Thank you so much:D All my life, I've never made anybody's heart work like that! I try my best to bring out as much emotion as I can but I'm not entirely a pro at using words to paint pictures. I learn from different people and writers along the way and once in a while there are just phrases that will get stuck in my head. Hope you've enjoyed this update!

**62toasters62: **Well, different people have their different definitions about the ratings, but I'll keep in consideration on what I write to suit the general audience. Thanks!

**Xamyxjx: **Thank you so much! You've been really awesome to keep reading and reviewing my story, it gets me pumped to start on another chapter and make it better than before! Hope you liked this update!

**Zashleyalways: **Thanks loads!! I'm glad you loved the previous chapter! Hope you like this one:D

**Chris tea xx: **Haha….I'm glad I sparked something in you that got you thinking! I can't give away much at the moment but hopefully as you read on, you'll understand more! Good luck! Oh, and don't worry, I'll still be here to clarify anything if you need me to.

**XBeautifulbabe405X: **Awww...Thank you so much sweetie!! I love Troypay a lot so I felt it was only fair to do justice to the story :D Hehe...I hope you enjoyed this update!

Phew! That was long!

Songs used — "I'm Not Okay" by My Chemical Romance & "Stolen" by Jay Sean


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Oh my God!! I can't believe how much I'm lacking! YIKES!! I'm so so very sorry for leaving you guys in so much suspense for so long! I was having a major camp in school, as well as a dance competition, so it had been a real busy week for me! But nonetheless, I've really tried my very best to get this update done with. It's nothing much, but I'm saving the surprise for the next chapter :P

Hope you enjoy this update!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 5**

It had been half an hour ever since the last bell had rung to signal the end of the day, and still there was no sign of the girl. Troy glanced down at his watch and realized that time had only moved by two minutes. He clicked his tongue, starting to get rather impatient, wondering where she could be at that moment.

**You took me up, and drew me in  
****Like a moth to your flame  
****Put your jinx in a deadly kiss  
****Your body locked me down in chains**

_Maybe she took the bus home?_ he thought, then paused with a smirk, knowing so well how public transport affected her in the most ridiculous ways possible. _Yeah, right. It'll only cramp her style._

Besides, her car was still nicely parked at the furthest corner—away from everyone else—indicating that she hadn't left the school compound yet.

_She's probably just busy with something so stop worrying now, will you? Maybe she's just discussing some upcoming productions with Mrs. Darbus? Yeah, that'd be it!_

Thinking about how truly passionate the girl was towards acting and singing, just performing in front of crowds, made him smile. He didn't know why, though it was on impulse that he did it. Never in his lifetime would he admit—even to himself—but he'd been silently watching her. Each time she took her stand on the stage, her hazel eyes would sparkle like rare diamonds, and her mean and manipulative personality would drain along with the sound of her voice. In the spotlight, she was someone else. She could be a far-out bitch whenever she wanted but something inside told him that the real acting came when she wasn't reading her lines. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying herself more than ever when she was behind the auditorium doors.

There was no doubt about it: she was one hell of an actress.

_Damnit, where is she?_

Troy was beginning to get really anxious and was fidgeting around. He kept crossing and uncrossing his arms, pacing back and forth along the length of his dad's old red Saab that could really use a full make-over, judging by how it would give a piercing screech at every junction, turn and stop. Restlessly, he kicked a stone and jammed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

_Jeez, what if something happened to her?_

For the next twenty seconds of so, he pondered on whether he ought to go back into the building and form a solo search party, but then thought better of it for he didn't want to risk running into his girlfriend. He knew that she'd just end up yelling into his face.

_No, that wouldn't be pretty._

However, Gabriella wasn't a threat to him. It was a certain blonde and what would happen to him if he didn't get a chance to talk to her. He felt like he had more to explain to her but knew she wouldn't even stand far enough to talk to him let alone listen to what he needed to say. Yet if playing basketball practically all his life had taught him anything, it was never to give up no matter how full of shit the game went.

He was going to talk to her and she was going to listen—at any cost—even if he had to drag her by those lovely golden hairs, tie her up, throw her into the boot of his car and kidnap her all the way to Timbuktu.

"Troy?"

His face lit up at the sound of his name but the smile instantly faltered when he turned to see someone else heading for him—someone with unnaturally jet black curls—and an extremely bad rendition of a certain blonde's trademark smirk. It was insane but she had always claimed it was her original colour. Seriously, she ought to sell that story to someone who was buying it. And that smirk, it had to go, together with that cock-sure swagger and hair toss.

**Fell down to earth now, baby  
****I heard my wake-up call  
****You're not a high I can't get off**

_Somebody should give that girl a reality check because that look is just a screw-up on her_, he thought while trying to resist the urge to roll his eyes. _Sometimes she's just trying way too hard. It's looking a tad bit tired, Gabby, so just give it a fuck and let it rest._

For thinking that much about his own girlfriend, Troy was forced to feel guilty. He didn't know where all those nasty things came from but it seemed to be happening more frequently. Suddenly, it seemed that everything about Gabriella was wrong; from the tone of her hair to the clothes she was wearing and how mismatched her shoes were to her outfit, even to the way she walked. How was it possible that he once used to think she was perfect?

There was an ache in his heart, but it was longing for just one girl. He wanted to feel her body up against his, grinding as though they were meant to fit so perfectly as one. He needed her soft and luscious lips, hard and hungry on his equally willing ones.

Most importantly, she had made him selfish.

**Nothing you can do can phase me  
****Since I got my wake-up call  
****You can't do your damage like before**

_Damn, I hate Sharpay!_

She was responsible for the distraction and for wrecking the peace in his life. How she had done it was a total mystery to him. Her touch and her kisses, they left enchanting imprints on his skin and though they were invisible, the burning sensation in his soul was clearly evident and impossible to ignore.

And he hated that because it wasn't supposed to happen—ever.

"Hi, Gabby."

"I can't believe you waited for me!" she squealed, giggling giddily. Then she threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him half to death. "That's so sweet of you!"

_Is she drunk? Just hours ago she practically wanted to bury me alive and now this?_

Troy decided not to comment on anything, knowing just how sensitive Gabriella was, as she leaned in for a kiss. He felt uncomfortable all of a sudden and unconsciously turned his head to offer his cheek to her lips instead. She didn't pick up on his drift though and a moment later he felt some wetness at the side of his face.

"Well, don't you have anything to say to me?" she asked, flirtatiously batting her eyelashes.

"Huh?"

"C'mon sweet cheeks, don't make me say it."

Gabriella was running her fingers up and down his arm, and it made thinking quite a difficult task. Still, it wasn't because it was enjoyable but because it brought a cold shiver running down his spine.

"Say what?"

Immediately, her expression turned sour, as though she had just bitten into a huge lemon, and she stepped back to smack his arm. "Why you—you—urgh!" she sputtered. "I was waiting, Troy!"

"For what?" he wondered out loud, clearly confused.

"A 'sorry' would be nice."

"Sorry?" he said, unsure if he had heard her right, but it seemed to be the right thing to say for her smile returned. Obviously she mistook it for an apology.

"It's all right. You're forgiven."

"I—what—huh?"

"Shhh…" she cooed, placing her index finger to his lips. "You don't have to explain anything, sweetie. Taylor told me that Chad told her you had detention yesterday, that's why you couldn't meet me like we'd planned, but you could've called me to tell me that, you know, instead of making me wait at the ice cream parlour and miss the debate on important political issues by…"

The rest of her words seemed to fade away when something at the corner of Troy's eyes caught his attention. Glancing over Gabriella's shoulder, he spotted Sharpay coming out of the school, her arms loaded with books. Cocking his head to the side, he tried to figure out a time he had seen the girl actually caring about her academics. For a split second, he considered going over to give her a hand but his girlfriend was too much in the way. Without even looking their way, Sharpay hurried over to her black BMW, and he found he couldn't take his eyes off her.

**I get a trigger in me mind  
****That makes me rewind  
****And remember how you blew my heart away**

_God, just look at her!_

"…and then she was telling me how my shade of pink was too dark! I can't believe it! I can't believe _her_! Of all people, Troy, of all people, it had to be Taylor to tell me that. I mean, I'm _way_ better than her in almost everything and it was a downright insult. If that wasn't bad enough, Mrs. Reeves just had to walk past at that exact moment and forced me to redo my whole entire titration. I swear she purposely did that because she's jealous…"

_Are you still on that?_ Troy thought, getting tetchily sick of her tirade. If she was going to just stand there and bitch about her own best friend, he didn't need to listen. Now that his focus was on something—or rather _someone_—else he couldn't bear to stay any longer. There was something more important that had to be done, and he knew if he didn't act now, he might chicken out later or find himself in an awkward situation.

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry to hear that, Gabby, but I have to go," he said, cutting Gabriella short. "I just remembered that—that my dad wanted me to go down to the mall to grab some—" Troy darted his eyes around for an excuse and they landed on his feet "—socks! Yeah, I really need some new pair of socks."

"Oh, well then, I could accompany you—"

"No!" he blurted out a little too loudly. Then, realizing what he'd just did, he added, "I mean, it's okay, Gabby. You should—you should go home and study for that Chemistry pop quiz, yeah!"

She eyed him suspiciously, but instead of questioning him about it, she just mumbled, "if you say so."

Troy stole a quick glimpse over to the black convertible and saw it drive out of the gate. "Yeah, yeah. I'd better go. See you! Bye!" he said, and without even stopping to take a breath or to give his girlfriend a goodbye kiss, he quickly got into his car and backed out of the lot to tail after Sharpay.

When Troy got to the main road, he made sure to keep a distance from her car—not too close but far enough just so he could observe her without being detected. Perhaps he was in a momentary state of insanity, or the tremendous lack of sleep had made logic seem hazy. However, even then he somehow knew he was doing something incredibly suicidal by ditching Gabriella and following Sharpay. For all he knew, the blonde could very well be embarking on a journey towards the many hedonistic streets of haute couture to max out on her father's credit cards.

He was surprised and confused though a few minutes later when she took a left turn at a junction and headed to the other side of the neighbourhood.

_Where is she going?_ Troy wondered. He spotted a small signboard and squinted to read what it said.

Threshold Park.

_No way!_

**

* * *

A/N: **This update isn't my best, I know, and I'm really sorry about it. I really need to start warming up all over again. This update's pretty short but the juicy bits will be coming in the next chapter, where more things are uncovered…dum dum dum!  
Searching for a song to go with this chapter took me longer than expected! Yikes! 

**AlwaysxAddicted: **Hehe…Gosh I LOVE you so much for always reading and always leaving wonderful reviews which had never failed to brighten up my day!! This update doesn't involve much on Sharpay and Troy together but I wanted to give a different character's perspective on the situation. I hope I didn't disappoint you with this chapter…

**Unlove You:** Thank you so much!! blush

**Chris tea xx: **How'd you guess I'm an Asian? Haha…well, I'm not so sure about that bit about being smarter. I've read countless books by non-Asian authors and most of them are magical! You see, it's difficult being an Asian and writing something that's totally different from my everyday surroundings. There are tons of researching to be done, and my mother tongue isn't English, so that's doubly difficult. So anyway, I don't want to give too much of the plot away but the truth will be out soon! Yay!

**Xamyxjx: **Awww…Thank you so much!! I LOVE you LOADS! I hope you've enjoyed reading this update!

**X0emz0x: **Thank you so much!! I've always been insecure with everything I've written, and it feels great how you think it's amazing because personally I've never thought of it. I guess I'm a tad bit obsessed with perfection…haha…Well, I hope I hadn't disappointed you with this update :D

**Actingalexis13: **Haha…it's great that you're asking questions because then I know you're really reading the story and not just scrolling down and submitting a review to make me feel good :P haha…it's really cool how you've paid attention to almost every detail in the story! You're a sharp reader, yay! And yes, answers will be uncovered really soon!! Stay tuned! I hope you liked this chapter!

**Paradise-maker786: **Haha…well, you'll just have to continue reading if you want to know winks

**Xstarglossx: **I'm so very sorry for having to make you wait so long! Believe it or not, the 3 days at camp was a torture because I couldn't get my hands on my computer and my fingers were itching to continue writing! Haha…oh, and for your information, I don't fancy Gabriella much either, which is why I'm having so much fun writing this bit! Thank you so much for the comment! Emotions are the most difficult to express and I'm so glad I've done justice to Sharpay's feelings! This chapter doesn't involve much of Sharpay and Troy together but it's rather important since it's a cliffhanger…dum dum dum…Haha…I hope you've enjoyed reading it though because I'd be really guilty if I had let you guys down…

**XBeautifulbabe405X: **Haha…I've always wanted to use "that narcissistic hormonal-imbalanced wanker" on someone but the guys my age wouldn't understand it, which would be such a waste! Haha…Troypay is DEFINITELY hot! Disney writers would disagree, which is so typical of them to do something sugary and sweet like Troyella. Urgh! Hope you like this update! It isn't much, but more will come soon:D

**Zashleyalways: **Awwww!!! BLUSH Thanks a million!! I know this update isn't much to offer but I promise the next one would be better :D Hope you enjoyed it anyway…

**MelleG: **Thank you so much! Gabriella's problem is…well…as everything Troy had said! Haha…hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Song used — "Don't Tell Me You're Sorry" by S Club 8


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I am SO incredibly SORRY, you guys! I know, it's been like almost forever since I last updated, and you would've already forgotten the previous chapters and all, and I deeply apologise for all the trouble! My first major assignment for this semester finally ended, and I've managed to finish this up! I've been working on this on and off and it's terribly long, so I'm sorry for that as well!  
Hope you'll like this chapter!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 6**

_What's she doing at a place like this?_

The kids in school called it 'Trash Hole Park', and with a relatively good reason as well. Troy studied his surroundings with a disgruntled frown, wondering why anyone would even consider living in such a filthy neighbourhood. The buildings were so rickety, and the pavements were littered with empty drink cans and food wrappers. Thick coats of paint were peeling off from the crack-filled walls and certain windows were barely hanging from their hinges while shatters of glass littered the ground, some from remnants of cheap beer bottles. Water dripped from the clothes that were left out to dry overhead, creating muddy puddles all over. There wasn't a single slab of clean concrete since every inch of the neighbourhood was heavily vandalized, from the brick walls in the alleys to the innocent red fire hydrant by the side of the road.

_Damn, doesn't anybody practice hygiene here?_

Troy hadn't been at this side of the city before, all because he simply didn't need to but he had heard a lot of things from other people—enough to convince him that it wasn't exactly a pleasant place to be in. There were rumours of students going to school with guns in their pockets, selling drugs behind the science blocks and even sleeping with the teachers. Chad's older brother had gotten himself one heck of a bashing from a group of middle school drop-outs that time he took a stroll down the district as part of a ridiculous dare. He was lucky enough to still be living to tell the tale, what with the amount of gross details and intricate descriptions. It was dangerous territory that only an insane person would set foot on.

And there Sharpay was, practically submitting herself to the gates of hell.

_Fuck, now what am I supposed to do?_

Troy was feeling really uncomfortable and inappropriate being there. Somehow, even his father's old car seemed posh in contrast to the other shabby vehicles along the street. The last thing he wanted to do was to attract too much attention to himself. He watched as Sharpay pulled over by the sidewalk outside what seemed like a haunted lodging house. The metal gates surrounding it looked more like jumbled pieces of wires and the words on the signpost were barely visible.

She lowered the hood of the car then expertly hopped over the door in an un-lady-like manner. Troy's eyebrows shot up and he let out a low whistle. Judging by her smooth move, that definitely wasn't her first time.

_Wow, who would've thought?_

He watched her retrieve a bunch of paper bags from the backseat before walking up the front stairs and knocking on the door. Sharpay waited for a few seconds before someone opened it. From the distance, Troy couldn't make out anything but just their figures, but when Sharpay went into the building, his curiosity got the better of him and he realized he needed to know what she was up to.

After promptly checking for traffic, he quickly got out of his car and dashed across the road towards the building. He cupped his hands against a window and tried to peer in but he couldn't see Sharpay anywhere. Turning to the door, Troy turned the knob and entered the place as quietly as he could. The interior looked like a small lobby with wooden parquet flooring, an old carpet in the middle and stairs ascending up to the second level. It wasn't brightly lit, except for the rays of sun that filtered in and yet there was a certain degree of coziness.

_What is this place?_ Troy wondered. His question was answered a moment later when his blue eyes landed on a hand-painted sign. _Zashley Orphanage? What's she doing here?_

Suddenly he heard the cheers of little children coming from somewhere upstairs and followed the noise, wincing when the floorboards creaked under his shoes, and found Sharpay in the biggest room, surrounded by kids who were jumping and squealing as they tried to get her attention.

Troy swiftly dodged behind a corner wall just as she glanced up.

_That was too close_, he thought, looking over at her once again.

Sharpay was laughing as she placed her bags down on the floor before lifting an adorable toddler in her arms and kissing her cheek. Then she gently placed the infant down and went on to greet the other children. The last one was a blonde-haired girl and Troy watched as Sharpay gave her a nice warm hug. She was the oldest one there, probably around nine or ten years of age, and she seemed to be really attached to Sharpay.

He glanced around and saw that the orphanage was relatively homey and snug in contrast to the hostile exterior. The walls were brightly painted in cheerful colours with children's paintings pasted everywhere. There was a huge bookshelf at one corner, an indoor playground in the middle and all sorts of toys scattered all over the place. Hung from the ceiling was a huge hand-painted banner that read 'Happy Birthday, Lily'.

Troy wondered which one of the children was Lily. She must be one special girl for Sharpay to be driving all over to this side of the city, where it would most definitely taint her image if anyone in school were to know.

_Maybe she's catching up on her hours of community service?_

"Excuse me, sir?"

Troy jolted back to reality and saw a woman with curly mahogany copper hair standing beside him. She was roughly in her mid-thirties, wearing a pair of jeans and a plain T-shirt that had been stained by paint way too many times.

"Can I help you with anything?" she asked.

"I…er…no," he stuttered, struggling to grasp for an excuse. "I was just driving past and—and I saw that—that…her just now and…"

The woman smiled knowingly and nodded. "Beautiful girl, isn't she? That's Sharpay Evans, and she's an angel with a heart blessed to heal these children's sorrow."

"Yeah?" Even after seeing all that she had done, it was difficult trying to imagine her being a compassionate person.

"Uh-huh," the woman replied, turning back to him. "She comes here quite often to visit these children and they love her more than anything. She does so much though to make them happy, it's sad that she couldn't have her own happiness."

"What do you mean?" Troy asked, suddenly curious.

"Her life is filled with so much tears and darkness, I'm sure you wouldn't be able to tell just by looking at her," she said, her voice cracking slightly. "She hides it all."

They stood there in silence, watching as Sharpay settled them down and got them to sit in a circle. "Alright, everybody, it's a very special day today. Can someone tell me what it is?"

Troy chuckled as everybody's hands shot up, eagerly wanting to be picked.

Sharpay pretended to think hard, scanning the group before picking the blonde girl whom he assumed was Lily. "Hey, Lily! Can you tell me what today is?"

The blonde girl just giggled and playfully rolled her eyes. "It's George Washington's birthday," she joked.

"Beep! Good guess. Thanks for trying!" Sharpay said, imitating a game show host. "Can we have the next contestant please?"

The children laughed. "It's my birthday, silly," Lily told her, sending everyone cracking up again.

"That's right! Ten points for you! And because you've got that right, I've got a special surprise," Sharpay smiled, walking over to a red paper bag. "Close your eyes everybody, and no peeking," she instructed as they obediently followed. Pulling a box out, she opened it to reveal a delicious-looking chocolate cake and began lighting the candles. "When I count to three, you can open your eyes and we'll sing a birthday song to Lily. Ready?" She brought the cake to the center of the circle, all the while grinning with a sparkle in her brown eyes. "Okay, one…two…three!"

Troy felt his heart squeeze as he watched all of them sing at the top of their lungs, not believing that she was the same girl in school who had tormented him mercilessly for as long as he had known; who had been invading his dreams for the past two nights; who had aroused his senses like nobody else in the world could; who had gotten him cursing each time her gorgeous face popped into his head with that dazzling smile; whose luscious lips he'd been painfully desiring to kiss again, to taste and explore beyond his wildest imagination.

"Make a wish, Lily!"

Sharpay's voice snapped him out of his reverie and he glanced over, just as the little girl opened her eyes and blew out the candles.

"What'd you wish for?"

Lily just grinned and in reply, said, "if I tell you, it won't come true."

Sharpay stuck her tongue out and tweaked the child's nose. "Being smart now, aren't you?" she teased, then dug her fingers into Lily's sides, causing her to squeal in laughter, and before long both girls were hard into a tickling fit. A couple of kids spotted the action and joined in. Soon, everyone was running all over the room, chasing each other and rolling around on the floor.

Troy was amazed by how she was so natural with the kids there. He was seeing an entirely new side of her, and for once she seemed almost human. She acted like such an Ice Bitch in school, as though she was invincible and that nothing could go through her, when really she was just a girl with a heart, who was afraid to show her vulnerable side, covering up her sadness with an aloof façade.

_Why is she hiding who she really is? _he thought._ Why does she have to pretend?_

He watched on as Sharpay played with the children, not the least bit bothered that her hair and outfit were ruined. He could see how much she really was enjoying herself just being there and spreading her love and joy, not expecting anything in return. It was the way she looked at them that brought this indescribable glow to her face, as though she was living her life all over again.

"Well," the brown-haired woman started, and Troy jumped slightly, forgetting that she was still there beside him. "I'd like to stay and introduce you to her, but I have some work to do. You could, however, wait till she's done if you want."

"No, no, it's fine. I should be going as well," he said and held out his hand for her to shake. "It's nice meeting you," he added, then hurried down the stairs and out of the orphanage towards his car.

He got in the driver's seat and sat there for quite some time—thinking—playing back everything he'd seen till he finally came to a decision.

He wanted her, and she was going to be his no matter what.

_No matter what._

* * *

It was eight-thirty in the evening.

Sharpay hadn't even realized the time. Hours felt like minutes since she'd been there at the orphanage. _It just goes to show how time flies when you're having fun_, she thought with a smile, studying the cluttered room.

_Goodness! This place looks like a battle field! _she chuckled.

Bending down, she began picking up all the toys that were thrown carelessly everywhere, and neatly putting them away. It was funny how she seemed to know perfectly well what things went where. She'd done it so many times over that it became sort of an unconscious thing to do. And she didn't mind it one bit because every time she saw just how happy and excited the kids were, it had made cleaning up after them all worth while. Carmen was usually busy with tons of paperwork, so Sharpay felt the need to help out with whatever she could.

"There, all done," Sharpay announced fifteen minutes later. With a contented sigh, she studied the room, pleased with herself for managing to break her previous record of tidying up in twenty minutes. Looking up at the clock on the wall, she found that she still had some time left and headed down the stairs towards the common room where all the kids were busy getting ready for bed.

Entirely out of habit, Sharpay went over to each one of the children to give them a good night hug or kiss, and whisper wishes into their ears. At home, it was what Ryan used to do before he went to bed. He would sneak into her room and they would spend some time discussing about their days—although they saw each other almost all the time in school—till she felt her eyelids start to droop and her head rest on Ryan's shoulder. The last thing she'd hear before drifting off to sleep was his gentle voice murmuring "I love you".

In the orphanage, the children had nobody who truly loved them and cared for them—nobody who would tuck them in and tell them how special they are—and Sharpay couldn't begin to imagine how lonely they must be feeling. She wanted to fill that empty trench in their lives with the abundant amount of love that she was given because…just because.

She came to the last bed, where a blonde girl sat against the headboard with a pillow propped behind for support, scribbling away in her journal. "Hey, Lily."

Upon seeing Sharpay, the little girl's face lit up completely. "Hey yourself, Shar," Lily replied and patted the spot next to her. "Come sit with me," she requested. "I've got something to show you."

"Sure, what is it?" Sharpay asked, peering over at the book. She saw that Lily had drawn a picture of two girls, one taller than the other, holding hands. The taller girl had wavy long hair and had a pair of wings sprouting from her back while the shorter girl had short, straight hair and was wearing a simple dress. Surrounding them were stars of all shapes and sizes. "This is beautiful, Lil!"

"It's you and me, Shar," the girl explained. "You're my angel from up above. One day you'll teach me how to fly—just like you."

Sharpay felt the hot tears pricking at the back of her eyes, threatening to spill. She didn't know what to say because words couldn't describe how she felt at that moment, but yet she didn't want Lily to see her cry, so she leaned in and enclosed the girl in her arms.

"You're not going to leave me, right?" Lily murmured.

It was a question that Sharpay didn't know how to answer. There were one too many secrets yet to be told and she didn't want to hope for too much because it was something she didn't have a control on.

"I don't know."

Slowly, Lily pulled away and Sharpay could see the fear and uncertainty in her emerald green eyes. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"Lil—"

"You can't leave me, Shar!" Lily cried out. "You can't! You're all I have in my life and I can't imagine it if you're gone—"

Sharpay captured her in a tight embrace to stop her from saying anything else. Every word the girl had said pierced through Sharpay's heart and she didn't know how much more of it she could take before she too broke down. Lily was crying in her shoulder, shaking uncontrollably as Sharpay soothingly ran her fingers through the girl's blonde hair, rocking her back and forth. It was so difficult—God knew just how much it was—to get that terrifying thought out of Sharpay's mind that one day she'll never see that little girl again. It was too painful to even try and imagine.

"Promise me, Shar," Lily sobbed, clutching on to Sharpay's blouse. "Promise me you won't ever leave me."

Sharpay closed her eyes, silently praying to the heavens above, hoping that they'd heard the little girl, and pleading for them to take away her pain and sorrow. If there was someone watching over them at the moment, she wished that whoever it was would give her a sign, to tell her which path to take.

_Dear God, don't break her heart._

Before she was able to think twice, Sharpay found herself breathing out two words.

"I promise."

* * *

**The path that I'm walking  
I must go alone  
I must take the baby steps until I'm full grown  
Fairytales don't always have a happy ending, do they  
And I foresee the dark ahead if I stay**

By the time Sharpay rolled up into her driveway, she was physically and emotionally drained. Leaning back in her seat, she heaved out a sigh.

**Yes you can hold my hand if u want to  
Cause I want to hold yours too  
Well be playmates and lovers and share our secret worlds  
**

The day had been hot and hectic; now the evening spread out before her, calm and cool. She stared up at the velvet sky, admiring how brightly the splashes of stars twinkled as the moonlight shone down upon her face, highlighting her features in an almost ethereal manner. Sharpay took a deep breath, filling her lungs with a refreshing amount of oxygen while the gentle breeze brushed past her cheeks and dwelled with her soft blonde tresses.

**But its time for me to go home  
It's getting late, dark outside  
I need to be with myself and center, clarity  
Peace, Serenity**

She could stay out there and sleep under such beauty all night, but then thought better of it since the possibility of her ending up with hypothermia was relatively high. And there were tons of school work that had to be done. Groaning, she reached over to the passenger seat and gathered the huge stack of books into her arms.

_Talk about the perfect way to torment me_, Sharpay thought sarcastically as she got out of the car. She had a five-page essay to write on pertaining issues that led to the World War Two, a hundred vocabulary words to define _and_ build sentences with, twenty math problems to work out, and some characters she needed to analyse for Literature.

_Looks like I won't be sleeping tonight._

She made her way up the stairs to her doorstep and let herself in. Instantly, she was hit by the heavenly aroma of something cooking.

"Hey, I'm back!" she yelled out. "Anybody home?"

"I'm in the kitchen, Sharpay," came a reply in a native Aberdeen accent.

It was Mrs. Collingsworth, the Evans' housekeeper, and Sharpay loved her to bits. She'd been with them for over fifteen years and was such a big part of the family. Whenever the twins' parents were out of town for a business trip or so, Mrs. Collingsworth became a mother figure to them. She took care of their daily meals, their laundry and other household chores, and sometimes even told Sharpay stories about her childhood and wild teenage years. It was never boring to listen to them because Mrs. Collingsworth was part British and part Indian-Italian—though she was born and raised in Scotland—and it got crazy most of the time. Sharpay would always find herself clutching her stomach from all the laughter and wishing that her life was as exciting as Mrs. Collingsworth's had been.

_Plus, she makes the best lasagne!_

Sharpay walked over to the living room where she carelessly dumped all her things onto the lush sofa before quickly heading to where the source of the mouth-watering smell came from.

"Hi, Mrs. Collingsworth," she greeted chirpily, poking her head from behind the lady who was busy cutting up the lasagne from the baking pan.

"Hello, sweetie. How was your day?"

Sharpay shrugged. "I'm still dealing with drugs at the back of the school compound, skipping class to smoke some speed in the girl's bathroom, vandalizing the cafeteria walls, destroying the fabric of society, expecting the world to owe me a living and sleeping with the Sex Ed teacher."

Mrs. Collingsworth chuckled, lightly pinching Sharpay's nose. "Well, well, well, isn't someone being a naughty girl?" she said.

"What can I say? It's a gift."

Mrs. Collingsworth laughed, like she always did. It brought a certain warmth and joy in the house. "Be careful or you'll get caught. I don't want to be visiting you in jail."

"I won't," Sharpay smiled and sat on a stool, resting her folded arms on the smooth marble surface of the center island. "Orange looks terrible on me!"

That cracked the housekeeper up. "And those boots don't match anyway," she added in, scooping up a chunk of lasagne with a spatula onto a plate and handing it over to the blonde girl.

"Totally," Sharpay agreed, nodding in mock seriousness as she pulled out a fork and knife from the drawer.

"Oh, look at the time, I'd better be getting home," Mrs. Collingsworth said while she wiped her hands with a towel. "You know how Albert is when he's all alone entertaining Lucy. I'll bet you the neighbours can hear him effing and blinding to that poor innocent soul."

"Sure, Mrs. Collingsworth. Tell Mr. Collingsworth I said hi and I'd try to drop by soon to see how Lucy is."

"Aww…that'll be really sweet of you, Shar. She misses you a lot." Mrs. Collingsworth bent down to give Sharpay an affectionate hug. "I'll see you tomorrow, honey. Take care!"

"You too, Mrs. C."

With that, Mrs. Collingsworth walked out of the kitchen, and a moment later Sharpay heard the front door open and close, the sound echoing throughout the house, and it was then that she realized she was entirely alone. She sighed and began eating, not used to the silence. Usually, Ryan would've been home watching a re-run of their favourite comedy, and she'd join him on the couch.

But he wasn't there.

**I hope you know, I hope you know  
That this has nothing to do with you  
It's personal, Myself and I  
We've got some straightenin' out to do**

And she wasn't _supposed_ to care. Her plan had worked—she had driven Ryan away—so then why was she constantly checking the time on the clock, wondering where her twin brother had gone and, why he hadn't returned? Sharpay stabbed the lasagne with her fork and frowned, remembering the look of pain in his face. Waves of guilt crashed over her as tears began clouding her vision. She blinked and a drop of moisture trickled down her face.

_No, I'm not going to cry_, she thought, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand. _It's for the best that he doesn't know…_

Sharpay didn't feel much like eating anymore so she quickly cleared her plate and went up to her room to take a shower. It was just the thing she needed at that moment—something to ease the tension, to numb her heart. All that running around and cleaning up had made her sweaty and sticky, anyway. She stripped off her clothes and turned on the faucet, allowing the water to flow down her body.

Then she began to cry, but no one could see the hurt and pain that drained away with the tears.

**And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket  
But Ive got to get a move on with my life  
Its time to be a big girl now  
And big girls don't cry  
**

Not even her.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Sharpay stepped out of the bathroom, steam rising up from behind her as she dried her hair, feeling totally refreshed. She noticed that her cell phone was blinking and walked over to the dresser to pick it up.

There were nine missed calls while she was in the shower, and they were all from one person.

"Troy Bolton?" She sputtered, forcing his name out of her mouth as though it was some kind of vermin she wanted to get rid of.

_What's his fucking deal? Can't he just leave me alone already?_

It was a rhetorical question, and Sharpay couldn't be bothered to consider the possibilities. With a roll of her hazel eyes, she tossed the phone carelessly aside. There were much better things to occupy herself with. Remembering she still had tons of school work to complete, she sat down at her study desk and decided she'd rather start with the simplest one—Creative Writing. She booted up her laptop and began searching on the list of words given to the class.

She was on her thirty-second word when the doorbell rang.

At first, Sharpay just ignored it, thinking someone might eventually answer the, but when nobody did and she could still hear the terribly annoying sound dinging in her ears, it was then she remembered she was the only one in the house.

"Damnit!" she cursed.

Grumbling, she got up from her seat and stomped down the stairs, her annoyance increasing and her patience decreasing with every step she took. She couldn't understand just which retarded idiot would show up so late at night and disrupt her concentration, but she felt sorry for whoever it was.

"Bloody hell! Just stop ringing the bell already!" she yelled. It took a lot of self-control not to pick up one of her mother's priceless vases and haul it across the room.

Sharpay threw open the door, poised for a kill. Upon seeing who it was, she stopped short. The chain of expletive vocabulary that threatened to pour out just a second ago vanished in a single breath as she stood there, stunned. Clearing her throat, she quickly recomposed herself and folded her arms across her chest. The icy glare she gave was piercing, but there was a slight confusion and a pinch of curiosity in her eyes.

"My doorbell works fine," she said, gritting her teeth.

The person looked sheepish. "Sorry, I just—"

"What are you doing here, Bolton?"

"You see…I—uh—I…see," he stuttered, staring at his worn-out sneakers.

"You know what, I don't have time for this," she scowled.

The door was about to slam in Troy's face but his hand shot out in time to stop it.

"No, wait!" He finally plucked up the nerve to look at her, and Sharpay could see the obvious nervousness reflected in those cerulean blues, accompanied with fear. His voice was strained and he seemed stressed. Very stressed, and inwardly Sharpay was jubilant she'd caused that. She arched an eyebrow, waiting as he carefully chose his words.

"Sharpay, we need to talk."

"I have nothing to say to you."

"It's about last night," he continued, his gaze met hers directly, and she could tell he was serious.

"Then I only have one word to say, Bolton," she said, holding up one finger. She paused for dramatic effect then smirked, eyeing him up and down. "Fuck off."

"That's two words."

She wasn't amused. "I'd burn the wisecracks and bury the ashes if I were you."

"I was just—I mean—"

"Cut the crap, Troy, and grow some balls." Sharpay was daring him, challenging him, because she liked making him sweat.

"Something happened, Sharpay."

She pretended to think it over. "Gee, I got drunk at a party, now what else is new?" Her sarcasm was acidic and she wasn't at all mildly entertained.

His eyes snapped up to meet hers, and Sharpay thought she felt her heart drop a notch at the graveness found in them. There wasn't going to be any more witticism or clever remarks. "Can I come in?" he asked.

"No."

He didn't take that as an answer. "Thanks," he said and tried to go past her. She blocked the entrance, refusing to back down.

"No."

"Why not?"

_Okay, that's it! _she thought.

"Listen, Bolton, and listen good. I don't know what is it that you want from me, but—"

"I just want you."

_What?!_

Sharpay narrowed her eyes to slits. "Are you on a dare or something? Were you sent her to irritate the shit out of me just so you can rip off ten bucks from your basketball dummies? Tell you what, I'll pay you double right now if you'd get out of my face."

"I'm not on a dare, Shar! I'm serious!"

"Stop calling me that!" she snapped.

"Why are you making this difficult?"

"I'm making this difficult?"

"Can you just let me explain?" Troy growled in exasperation.

"What happened last night was all in the past, Troy. I was filthy drunk and I can't remember anything. Basically, I don't give a rat's ass what—"

"We had sex, Shar."

* * *

**A/N: **Haha…okay, so here's where I get to bitch about a few things. Yay! Okay, so I've heard all about the Vanessa/Zac thing and OH MY GOD, it's just nauseating! It's really old and tired and if it's going to take them this long and stuff, I think it had gotten stale. It's pathetic that Van (haha…) needs Zac in her music video just to gain her some popularity in the music charts. I'm not a fan of her, never was, and never will be. Obviously, she's jealous of Ashley's success or something, maybe even threatened by her. I mean, Simon Cowell liked Ashley's album! Wohoo!! Are the rumours true though, that Ashley's dating Jared Musillo? Haha…he's cute and I'm supporting them all the way!

So, the happy stuff! I'd like to thank each and everyone of you who'd taking your time and effort to read my story. It's not entirely good though, and I'm not sure how you guys can stand it! Haha…I'd really like to thank each one of you personally for being so patient, but I won't know who had read this unless you leave a review :D

**Remedyofpain: **Thank you so much!Hehe…cliffhangers are fun! Okay, so it is for me anyway, but yes, it's evil! Muahaha…There was an S Club 7, but they sort of wanted to keep the S Club name going and had auditions for the junior version of S Club…Initially it began as S Club Juniors, but then they evolved to S Club 8…haha…they're really nice people (Frankie and Calvin are my favourite!)

**Chris tea xx: **Haha…I know what you mean. I guess over here where I am, it's around the same because we hardly see non-Asians around and when we do, it's like…different (not different-bad but in a good way), and there are certain expectations because of cultural differences…don't worry though, I still love you! Hope you like this chapter and so sorry to keep you waiting!

**AshleyZac4life: **Thank you so much! Hope you enjoyed this bit!

**Xamyxjx: **Haha…I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long!! So so very sorry! Had loads of assignments to catch up with, but I made sure this chapter's tolerant enough…hehe…hope you like this update!

**Unlove You: **sings I can't unlove you…haha…I so totally love her album by the way!! Wohoo! Haha…well, teasing is always part of the game for all writers…it's a twisted sort of fun, I guess…and I think I've tortured you enough by not updating for so long…hehe…hope you like this update!

**Bl1SSFuln3ss: **Dear (back) to you, thank you so so very much for reviewing! It totally made my day, and it made my long hours thinking and typing worth it! I'm so glad I've made you smile! Haha…and just like you, I too wish to leave a handprint on Gabriella's face! Mean, but so totally satisfyingly true! Thanks for loving the story! It's for people like you whom I write this story for :D Hope this bit made you happy!

**Paradise-maker786: **Aww…thank you so much! Haha…I hope some of your questions are answered in this chapter! I like a non-Gabby character, so then I'll have a reason to hate her in the story…haha…Thanks for adding me on alerts! Glad you've liked the story so far…hehe…hope you like this chapter!

**X0em0x: **Thank you so much!!

**MelleG: **If Gabriella's not in the way, there wouldn't be a reason to despise her now, would it? Haha…she creates a frustration, and it's sort of necessary…hehe…hope you like this update! Love ya too! Muax!

**XBeautifulbabe405X: **Haha…tell me about his reaction to the "narcissistic hormonal-imbalanced wanker" line…haha! Thank you so much for the lovely comment!! Sorry to keep my dear faithful reader waiting for so long! Hope you've enjoyed reading this chapter!

**Heyhello: **Thank you so much! Haha…so some reason, I have a feeling you've reviewed before…or was it that I've recognized you through your fanfics? Haha…in anyway, thank you so much for reading my story! Hehe…I guess I've kept you waiting for so long, I hope you haven't gone crazy? Oh dear, in any case if you have, I hope this chapter had somewhat keep you sane…hehe…hope you love this!

My inspiration for the orphanage scene is based a lot on **"Icebergs and Ice Queens" by pottergrl15. **If you haven't read it yet, you'd better! It's an amazing story and it's the whole reason why I wrote this fanfic.

The line "The day had been hot and hectic; now the evening spread out before her, calm and cool" is taken from the book **"Just Say Yes" by Laura Peyton Roberts.**

The line "destroying the fabric of society, expecting the world to owe me a living and sleeping with the Sex Ed teacher" is taken from the book **"Saving Francesca by Melinda Marchetta.** I love that book so much because it's just so real and frank and witty!

Songs used – "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Oh dear! I've been neglecting this story again! I'm SOOO sorry, you guys. It isn't that I'm not updating this because I love to torture you guys for that I'm not interested anymore. I'm determined to finish this story without rushing into things. And I have tons of new assignments and I'm still working on a project for a client, plus dance practice is twice as many as they used to be, and on top of that I'm working as well, so please bear with me, yeah?  
Meanwhile, here you go! Chapter 7!!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 7**

Sharpay stiffened, and felt her blood run cold. She stood there, frozen on the spot as though someone had pulled her spirit and soul out of her body. A bomb could've exploded right in front of her, and she wouldn't even budge. A million things ran through her mind—a thousand possibilities, a hundred reasons—but none of them were answers.

_No, this can't be true,_ she thought. _God, please don't let this be true._

"What?" she breathed, her voice barely audible.

"Shar, can I come in?"

There were so many things she could do to Troy Bolton, and so many things she would be pleased to do, but at the moment, she just couldn't do it. Like a somnambulist, she stepped aside to let Troy in, expecting him to close the door as she tried to recover from initial shock. Her mind simply wouldn't grasp the words no matter how hard she tried. Still dazed and very much confused, she went into the living room. She sank into her luxurious velvet-covered sofa and buried her face into her hands.

_How did all this happen? How did I get myself into this mess?_

"This can't be true," she whispered.

The sofa sank slightly as Troy sat down next to her. "Shar…" he began softly, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

Immediately, she jerked away.

"Don't touch me!"

"Shar—"

She cut him off. "This can't be true!" she cried out, pleading him with her eyes. "Please, Troy, tell me it isn't true—"

"As much as I want to, Sharpay," he reached his hand out to caress her cheek. "It's the truth and—"

"I said don't touch me!" she yelled, jumping to her feet. She crossed her arms over her chest and subconsciously began rubbing her arms as she slowly paced back and forth. "You had this all planned, haven't you, Bolton? This is all just some sick joke of yours, isn't it? You're making up some fucking lie about us sleeping together because you suddenly had the pressing need to see the Ice Bitch fret about something. You probably also have a camera hidden somewhere, ready to broadcast this whole thing to the entire universe—"

Her words were interrupted when Troy suddenly pulled her into his arms and wrapped her in a tight embrace, as though he was afraid to let her go. "I'm not lying to you, Sharpay," he spoke into her hair. "You have to believe me."

Sharpay shoved him away, seething. "Give me one good reason why I should, Bolton."

Troy's cerulean blues met her hazel ones, and the intensity burned beyond measure. "Because that night we made love was the best thing that happened to me."

"Made love?" Sharpay scoffed, then jabbed a finger to his chest, her nose inches away from his. "Since when do you know what love is, huh? Since when was sex not a physical thing anymore?"

"Since the second I saw the way you looked at me," he replied without hesitating.

**I know you're afraid of what you feel  
****You still need time to heal  
****And I can help you if you'll only let me try**

She blinked, not entirely sure if she was supposed to be flattered or insulted. She broke the gaze and turned away. "And what way was that?" she asked.

"In a way that made me want you for the rest of my life."

Sharpay whirled around. "That's fucked-up bullshit, Bolton."

"Why?"

"Because I hate you!"

"Really?" Troy raised an eyebrow, and with a slow measure gait of a predatory animal about to devour his dinner, he took a few steps to stand within centimeters of her. Involuntarily, Sharpay moved backwards until she came in contact with a wall. She swallowed hard, knowing she was trapped.

**You touch me and something in me knew  
****What I could have with you**

"Then why did you want to kiss me as much as I wanted to kiss you?" he murmured huskily. "Why did you whisper my name each time I ran my fingers through your hair? Why did you make love to me?"

"I wasn't sober, Troy!" she burst out and struggled to break free, but he only pressed himself stronger against her. Sharpay felt the warmth of his body, so close and intimate that all she could think about was to remember to breathe.

"You don't hate me, Sharpay, and you know it!" he fumed.

She gasped and withdrew a little. In all her life, she had never seen or heard Troy lose his temper the way he just did a second ago, and it scared her. She stared into the fiery glow of his eyes as they searched hers with a yearning born of an awful, aching wonder deep inside her, and suddenly the reality of his words pierced through her.

But she couldn't do it. She simply just couldn't.

"Why are you doing this to me, Bolton? Don't you have a girlfriend who's probably waiting for your call right now so that you nauseating lovebirds can exchange mushy goodnights?"

The desperation in her voice caused the frustration in his eyes to slip away, replaced by tenderness. "Because when I held you in my arms, it was the most magical feeling ever. Just one single touch from you is worth so much more than Gabriella's could be in an eternity. You kissed me and I've never stopped thinking about your lips. The details of that night were so explicit I couldn't close my eyes without seeing you beautifully naked on top of me—"

"Troy, stop it!"

Sharpay gave him a hard shove, though it only caused his grip on her hips to tighten. She was strong, but he was a teenage boy, well on his way to becoming a man, and there didn't seem to be any way she could escape. The impact of their bodies slamming against each other drove the breath out of her.

"Look at me, Shar," he growled. "Look at me and tell me you don't like it when I kissed you in detention."

Her brown eyes snapped up and fixed him with a glare. "I don't."

Troy leaned closer. Slowly, provocatively, he ran his left hand up her side and traveled further north to cup her cheek, the other tracing nonsensical patterns on the small of her back. A small smile crept onto his lips when Sharpay shivered involuntarily. His lips were a scant breath from her own. "Tell me you don't like it when we touch."

"I don't."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Mm-hmm."

Sharpay knew he didn't believe that for one second because he lowered his lips and buried his face in the crook of her neck. His tongue tasted her silky skin, softly licking with its tip as he continued his adoration by nibbling at her throat and made his way up to her ear. Her body was tingling and suddenly all the senses that was once dormant seared to life. His mouth skated the spot, his supple lips nuzzling her sweet spot and she let out a moaning sigh.

"Tell me it wasn't my name that came out of your lips that night," he whispered.

"It wasn't."

He didn't buy that either.

Without warning, he dived in and kissed her. His mouth, from the instant it met hers, was hungry and demanding, hotly possessive and skillfully persuasive. The taste, the texture, the heat of the kiss were all so familiar, as though it was solely meant for her. Her blood pounded in her ears and she could feel the thud of his own heart racing in tempo with hers. With his tongue he examined the seam of her lips, gently prodding till they parted, and he pressed it deep into the honeyed hollow of her mouth. Sparks ignited from the base of her stomach down to her toes.

**When it's this sweet, there's no saying no  
****I need you so, I'm ready to go**

When at last he pulled away, they were both taking in gulps of air.

"Tell me you didn't feel anything when I kissed you."

"I didn't."

"Liar."

And with that, he was out of her door.

* * *

**I look in your eyes and I can see  
****We've loved so dangerously  
****You're not trusting your heart to anyone**

Troy sat up in bed, staring intently at the pale wall in front of him, deep in thoughts as he held his cell phone against his chin. Pillows were propped up behind his back and the radio was playing nauseating love songs. He wasn't in the mood for ballads but he needed some music to drown the voices in his head.

Turning his head, he glanced at the clock on his bedside table and read the time. He groaned upon realizing it was already two in the morning. He hadn't even gotten a single second of sleep. His eyes were heavy and felt like it could just seal shut forever, but somehow, he just couldn't sleep. He'd been tossing and turning in his bed, completely restless. No matter what he tried to do—counting sheep, singing some punk rock songs, and reading the encyclopedia—it was all in vain.

Then he took another half an hour or so, contemplating what the problem really was.

And one thing—one _person_—came to his mind.

_Sharpay Evans._

**You tell me you're gonna play it smart  
****We're through before we start  
****But I believe that we've only just begun**

He didn't know what to do about her. She was such a mystery, and sometimes he felt that he might never understand her. They were from diverse planets, that part he couldn't deny. It was the truth, and one he dreaded because she's just a fucking goddess.

**When it's this good, there's no saying no  
****I want you so, I'm ready to go**

Troy didn't know if words could explain what he felt when he kissed her for the first time. It was simply a total, gob-smacked near-divinity encounter, one so erotic, so full of lust and passion that he knew the moment she appeared in his dreams, he was in deep trouble.

_How can something so wrong feel so right?_

For one thing, he had a girlfriend to deal with. It shouldn't be a problem at all, and there were occasions he wondered why he still clung on for so long. However, things weren't that simple. He had a reputation to maintain and he didn't want the school to go into another huge revolution just because he broke up with Gabriella.

His gaze moved over to the photo frame beside the lamp with a picture of them together. Usually, seeing that photograph would make him smile because it reminded him of how neatly wrapped up their relationship is. Everybody thought it was a match made in heaven—flawless without any complicated dramas and dilemmas. As hard as he tried at that point of time though, Troy couldn't even force himself to admire her features like he used to.

Reaching out, he placed the frame into his drawer and dropped his head onto the pillows. He slammed his eyes shut, willing for himself to just sleep, but an image of Sharpay popped into his head—of how incredibly gorgeous she looked when she was playing with the kids in the orphanage, of how hot and steamy it had gotten in the classroom during detention, the way she looked at him the night they made love—and Troy bolted upright, breathing heavily.

"Damnit!"

He knew he wasn't going to get any sleep at all—not without her beside him.

Suddenly he couldn't care less about the consequences.

**Through the fire  
****To the limit, to the wall  
****For a chance to be with you  
****I'd gladly risk it all**

_Screw the bloody reputation!_

**Through the fire  
****Through whatever, come what may  
****For a chance at loving you  
****I'd take it all the way**

He needed her.

And she was going to be his.

**Right down to the wire  
**

* * *

**A/N: **Yay! Here's where I can blabber rubbish and still get away with it! Haha…well, firstly, I know this update isn't as long as the previous chapter, but that's how it goes, and it isn't because I didn't have time or anything so I'm rushing my stories. In fact, it the other way round, though. I feel I'm dragging too much of the story…urgh!  
Oh! By the way, I did a typo error on Jared's name on my previous chapter. It's Murillo, not Musillo…SORRY!! And I did watch the interview the little girl had with Ashley at the MTV Movie Awards and Jared is just next to her! That's so sweet! Maybe I should try to do a Jared/Ashley fic? Haha…I'll think about it, though I seem to have in mind another storyline for Troy/Sharpay, but I'm still deciding if I should start on it since I already have so many things to do!  
Tell me what you guys think, yea?

**Stessa: **Hi, you! Haha…awww…you're very welcome! I'm glad I got to make-up for it after so long of not updating :D Hope you like this update!

**Xamyxjx: **Wow!! Thank you so much!! You totally made my day and again, I think I took too long with this update as well…hehe…sorry! But hopefully chapter 8 is faster (since I've already written part of it in longhand, so yes, I do think of you, honey, when I go to school :P)…hope you enjoyed this bit (though it isn't much)!!

**AshleyZac4life: **Hi! Haha…yeah, she needs to do that, but Sharpay has her reasons for what she's doing, which you'll find out in the later chapters…haha (it's sorta like blackmail for you to keep reading…-evil laughter-)…and THANKS for the compliment! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**AlwaysxAddicted: **Hehe…although you did review under chapter 5, I still love you for reviewing…haha! It's not your fault though, there are tons of fanfics and once in a while, it just blurs together, so I'm so glad you managed to read mine! Thank you so much! This chapter isn't anything 'WOW' worthy but I thought I needed to tone the story down a bit. Hope you like this!

**R.P.'s hood is Sherwood: **Hi! Oh! My sister used to go to a kindergarten called Sherwood, which is somewhere in Kent Ridge, which is somewhere here in Singapore! Cool!! Hehe…most things are predictable, really, but I do try to twist some stuff to make them my own. Thanks for reviewing! Hope you like this entry!

**X duhz dorkface: **I totally agree with you! I think that Vanessa's just trying to get some media attention by snuggling up to Zac, since most of the spotlight goes to Ashley. Can you blame the media if Ashley's more interesting? Haha…Jared's really sweet! He's such a guy-next-door kind of guy and I know a couple of guys in my crew, and I think dancers make really affectionate boyfriends! Haha…hope you liked this update!

**Chris tea xx: **Hi!! Hehe…what can I say? Stopping at "we had sex, Shar" was part of my evil plan…muahahaha…okay, not so much, but in Creative Communication class, we learn how to create reader's interest and I picked up a few tips here and there…haha…I've never asked a guy to grow some balls before because they would all say the same thing, "how many do you want me to have?" How typically male! Hehe…who wouldn't love you? You're a really pleasant reader to have, and you've always reviewed regularly! THANK YOU SO MUCH, GIRL! Hope you like this chapter :D

**The Summer Breeze: **Haha…Thank you so much for reviewing!! Yup…They had SEX! Whee!! Haha…okay, so I've decided to be a nice person and not leave you hanging any further :P haha…this one's not very long or anything, not nearly as exciting either, but yeah, I hope it'll do…hehe!

**Xstarglossx: **Hi!! Haha…I LOVE you too for taking time and effort to read my story! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Muax!! Haha…well, cliffhangers make very good endings for chapters! Why do you think I enjoy using it so much? Hehe…-grins evilly- But I'm glad you still loved it, makes it all worthwhile! Haha…penetrated! That's a really GOOD one!! I haven't listened to much of her songs (quite logical why! She isn't that pleasing to the ears), except for those accidental times I heard them on the radio, thinking why Paris Hilton had suddenly gotten worse, then realizing it was Vanessa…haha…hope you like this bit!!

**Nicole-troypay-zashley-fan: **Thank you SO much for reviewing!! Hehe…I'll try to make Ryan participate more, not in this chapter though, sorry, but I promise you he'll come in more in the future! He has quite a big role coming up in the later parts of the story –wags eyebrows- !

**MelleG: **Hehe…I'm not sure if I'm fast enough, but here you go!! Hopefully you like this chapter! (It's okay though if you don't like it…haha, you can tell me that as well :D)

**Forbiddenfiction: **Hi!! Haha…whoa! Lots of questions to answer to! Whoots! THANK YOU so MUCH!! Haha…it's okay, I'm not so patient either…hehe! So yeah, I'll try to answer most of your questions, but there are some things that I can't tell you because, you know, it'll be sort of a spoiler, and it wouldn't be a surprise to you anymore! Hehe…  
1. Sharpay and Lily…well, it's a special kind of relationship, and judging that she lives in the orphanage, maybe you can take a guess? All I can say is that they're very close and mean a lot to each other!  
2. Serious about wanting her? Maybe. Serious about them having sex? Well, this chapter sort of justified that…hehe…  
3. Haha…I would definitely like to kill Gabriella in a slow tortured kind of death, but you know, that would be too harsh, you think?  
4. 'Big Girls Don't Cry' reflects a lot about Sharpay and that no matter how much she's suffering inside, she can't allow people to see her cry because the Ice Queen isn't supposed to have any feelings.  
5. Haha…he's this stalker guy because I'm basing my story on 'Icebergs and Ice Queens' by pottergrl15, which I thought had an awesome storyline, and that I just had to adapt some scenes into my story, so my inspiration came from that story.  
6. Ryan doesn't come in till a bit later, though, but if you need a perspective on his thoughts or something, you can probably give me some ideas on how to go about writing it, yeah?  
7. Sharpay is in high school, so she's probably a senior, which would make her…18? It'll be easier for me to relate to her since I'm 18 as well…  
Haha…by updating this, I think I've already answered your last question! Haha…this update isn't much though, yeah, but nonetheless, I hope you liked it!

**ZxS.friends.4.ever: **-Blush- hehe…THANKS!! Haha…I'm not that talented because I can tell you so many more amazing people out there who are gifted in writing and I envy them so much!! Haha…hope you enjoyed this update!

**Jenny1991: **Haha…THANK YOU for reviewing!! Well, in order to answer your questions, you'll just have to continue reading! –winks-

The line "his lips were a scant breath from her own" is taken from the book **"A Visit from Sir Nicholas" by Victoria Alexander**.  
The line "a total, gob-smacked near-divinity encounter" is taken from the book **"Last Wave" by Paul Hayden.**

Song used – "Through the Fire" by Chaka Khan


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Hi!! Haha…is this by far the fastest updated chapter? I'm not sure though, but yeah. It seemed pretty darn fast to me. It's funny 'cause I wasn't even rushing through it. The chapter sort of writes by itself…hehe…  
So, here it is, I present to you…Chapter 8!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 8**

Troy had been waiting desperately all morning for a chance alone with her but every time he was near, she'd always manage to avoid him. Now that the last bell had rung ten minutes ago, the hallway was empty. Finally he found his target.

**My heart was jumpin' for her  
****My head was spinnin' circles  
****My tongue was tied  
****I tried, but couldn't find the words**

The drama club meeting wasn't going to start for another twenty minutes or so, which gave him ample chances to talk to her. He knew she wasn't going to make his job easy but it didn't hurt to try. She was standing in front of her trademark hot-pink locker, busy putting away her textbooks, and he thought she had never looked more perfect. Her silky blonde hair was tied up into a ponytail, held in place by a sparkly baby blue scrunchie as her wavy tresses cascaded down her shoulder. The sky blue tank top she wore clung onto her curves like wet paint, the laced hemline stopping just above her ivory-coloured denim skirt, which she topped off with a pair of matching boots.

_God of Mercy, look at her!_

She was teasing him without even knowing it and it was driving him crazy just how much of an effect she had on him. Quietly, he walked over and stood directly behind her. She didn't notice him at first though, because she was too preoccupied, until she suddenly glanced up at the mirror and saw his reflection. At first, she was startled to see him, but then her expression turned hard and resentful.

**She had eyes of fire  
****The ones you can't put out**

"Sharpay—"

"Leave me alone, Bolton," she snapped.

"Can we talk?"

She jabbed one French-manicured finger into his chest and glared up at him. "I've had enough of talking to you."

"I'm not done yet."

"Too bad then, ass-face. Get the fuck out of my way!" she snarled, then whipped around, slammed her locker shut and stalked off before he could say another word.

"Goddamnit!" Troy spat out and banged his fist against the metal door beside him. He watched her go, vowing that he'd get her the next time round.

**Oh, I just can't let you go  
****My mind is not my own  
****I can't eat, can't sleep  
****I'm in too deep**

"Troy!"

His name echoed down the corridor and he spun around to see Gabriella practically skipping towards him with an overly-exposed set of teeth. His eyebrows instantly sprung up at the awkward sight. His supposed girlfriend was clad in an auburn knee-length skirt that flared out and swished with each step she took and an oversized LA Lakers basketball jersey. If her double plaits hadn't ruined her appearance enough, she could always count on her white ballet flats to do the deed.

_What in the world!_ he thought, trying hard not to cringe. _Where are the fashion police when you need one?_

"Hi!" she chirped. "I've been looking all over for you! The meeting's about to begin and I don't want to be late. Where did you go?"

Up close, Troy could see that she had an overdose of make-up on. It was so thick, he wondered if it might crack. Gabriella had decided to go for the dark vamp look—and had failed miserably, for her eye shadow looked like a huge patch of black powder and her lipstick was exceptionally paler than her already-pale skin.

"Huh? Oh, I was—"

"What are you doing in front of Sharpay's locker?" she asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"You see, well, I—"

"What were you guys talking about?" Gabriella narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

_Damn her and her super-speed brains!_

"I was just telling her that—that she needn't bother auditioning for this upcoming play because you're so much better than she'll ever be, you're a shoo-in for the lead." Troy wasn't sure if she would buy that, but he didn't care. He was feeling incredibly guilty, though it wasn't because he was lying to Gabriella. For all he knew, she was a sucker for his glibness.

He was right.

"Oh, Troy! That's so sweet!" she squealed and launched herself at him, slobbering his cheek with a wet kiss.

"Uh, thanks," he said with a weak smile, resisting the powerful urge to wipe her saliva off his face.

"We don't even know what the play's going to be!"

He shrugged as nonchalantly as possible. "Does it matter?"

"Obviously!" she replied melodramatically, hooking her arms around his as she began heading for the theatre. "I hope it's 'Romeo and Juliet', though. A modern kind of adaptation, set in an isolated island whereby two teenagers were being sent to a private school for performing arts. I can be Juliet and you can play Romeo," she wagged her eyebrows in a suggestive manner that just made her look like a skanky underpaid ho. "Wouldn't that be great?"

"Yeah."

"But, if this production's going to be 'Moulin Rouge', then I would definitely want to play Satine!" she went on.

_You have got to be kidding me, _he thought.

"I can just picture you as one of those brooding, romantic poets, Troy, and—"

_Is there a mute button on this girl? I don't remember her being this annoying before. Unfortunately, she doesn't come with an instruction manual._

"Oh, look! Here's the theatre," he purposely interrupted her rambling, releasing her grasp on him. "Shall we go inside?" he asked, and without waiting for her to answer pushed the door open. Troy went in and left the brunette to tail after him like a lost puppy.

"Troy, what's the hurry?" she hissed.

"Well look who's here!" Mrs. Darbus, the drama teacher exclaimed. Her voice rang high as everybody in the room turned to look. "It's our stars of Twinkletown! Scoot along and grab some seats, you two."

Troy felt his face heat up, fully aware of all the eyes on him. Even though he was practically a celebrity in school, he was still a bit self-conscious about his acting and singing skills. All the extra unnecessary attention he got from the other students still made him nervous. Giving a quick scan around, he spotted one particular blonde sitting alone in the second row. She was the only one who hadn't given a care about his entrance.

_That's weird. Where's—_

"Hey! There's Taylor!" Gabriella squealed and latched herself onto his arm, cutting into his thoughts. "Let's go over and sit with her. Oh, and isn't that Chad?"

"Chad?"

Before Troy had the chance to protest, he found himself being dragged down the aisle to the front row. He stifled a groan when Gabriella plopped herself beside Taylor, leaving him and Chad to sit at the ends.

"Yo, man!"

"What're you doing here?" Troy whispered to his best friend.

Chad shrugged. "Moral support."

Taylor, who had obviously heard him, whacked the back of his head and gave him a pointed look.

"Ow!" he howled. "What was that for?"

"Being stupid," Taylor simply replied.

"Being stupid," Chad mocked, imitating his girlfriend. "Excuse me for not having an I.Q of a hundred and forty."

"Well, what are you doing here?" Troy repeated, starting to get impatient.

"What the hell, Troy. Take a chill pill. Don't need to bite my head off, alright? I'm joining the drama club," Chad said.

"For real?"

"Hey, if you can somehow manage to balance out acting and basketball, and still have time for homework, I don't see why I can't do it."

"Oh, please," Taylor muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Chad shot back.

"Everyone, settle down now!" Mrs. Darbus called for attention. "Thank you people for coming to our drama club meeting. We've had a great success for our previous play and I'd like to congratulate Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez for doing such a magnificent job, and for making the production simply superb!"

The students launched into a thundering round of applause, accompanied by loud hoots and cheers. Troy blushed again, and suddenly found himself turning to look at Sharpay, who was the only one there who wasn't clapping. She just stared down at her lap and seemed to be busy scribbling away in her notebook. Troy tilted his head, studying her for a while.

**Look in my condition  
****I see you in my dreams  
****And every night I fight  
****To keep my sanity**

"Where's Ryan?" he wondered aloud, more as a rhetorical question.

Nonetheless, Gabriella replied. "He's at the back with Kelsi."

"Why isn't he with Sharpay?"

"Do I look like I care?"

Troy allowed the comment to slide and craned his neck around to see Ryan in the fifth row, seated beside Kelsi Nelson. "What happened?"

"Heaven knows," Gabriella smirked. "Maybe he's finally sick and tired of that blonde bitch constantly barking at him and decided on someone less…verbally assaulting."

_Fuck you!_

All the while Mrs. Darbus was talking and explaining about the upcoming production, Troy was barely listening. He found himself sneaking glimpses at Sharpay every now and then, but not once did she look up at him. There was something going on between the Evans twins, and he didn't think that it was just an ordinary squabble. Judging by the tension in the air, it seemed more like a cold war.

"Isn't this great?"

Troy jolted back to reality. The meeting had been adjourned and most of the students were already leaving the theatre. "What?"

"'A Walk to Remember'!" Gabriella burbled excitedly.

"Er…say what?"

Fortunately, the brunette was too psyched to notice his woolgathering. "We'll be doing an adaptation of 'A Walk to Remember'!"

"Oh, yeah!" Troy said, sounding as though he knew what the hell she was just rambling about. In truth though, he was absolutely clueless.

'_A Walk to Remember'? Where've I heard that before?_ he wondered, raking his brains for any hidden memories he had about that story. _Is it the one about the bride who ran away from her wedding?_

"This is like a total dream come true!" Gabriella told him with a dreamy sigh.

"Why?"

"Troy, don't you remember?" The twinge of hurt was evident in her voice as her expression turned worried. "It's my all-time favourite movie!"

"Oh, I knew that," he coughed out. "We're going to audition together again, right?"

"What's wrong with you, today? Weren't you listening to a word Mrs. Darbus had said?" Gabriella crossed her arms across her chest. "It's single auditions this time."

_All the better!_ he thought.

Just then, something caught his eye. He turned his head and saw Sharpay get up from her seat. Gabriella went on jabbering about the movie, totally oblivious to the fact that he wasn't interested and that his gaze was following a certain blonde who was rushing out of the theatre.

_This is my chance!_

"Troy? Troy!"

He whipped around to face his girlfriend. "Listen, Gabriella, I have to go, alright? I need to be home in time to do some chores. See you guys tomorrow."

Grabbing his backpack from the seat, he sprinted out of the door towards the parking lots, just in time to see Sharpay getting into her convertible and driving off. He made his way over to his car and jumped in. He turned the key into the ignition, released the clutch, pressed on the gas pedal, and once again began following her.

**So many times I've tried  
****To get her out of my life  
****But she knows I'm addicted  
**

* * *

_Come on, come on!_

Sharpay tapped her fingers anxiously on the steering wheel and checked the time. She groaned, realizing that she was already ten minutes late. Inwardly, she cursed Mrs. Darbus for her lengthy speech on the upcoming school play.

_Damnit! Why is this taking so long?_

Immediately as the traffic light turned green, she tore down the road, narrowly missing the left turn at a junction. She swerved her precious convertible without bothering to signal and produced a piercing screech from it. When Sharpay saw the big signboard, she slowed down. It didn't take long for her to find a spot to park her car, and she hurried into the clinic. The lady at the reception glanced up when she entered. She was roughly in her mid-forties, wearing a floral dress with a pale yellow cardigan over it, and her glasses hung around her neck with her light auburn hair tied up in a loose bun.

"Hi, Sharpay," she greeted with a warm smile, instantly recognizing the blonde teenager. "How are you today, sweetie?"

"Hi, Tanya! I'm fine, thanks. Is Dr. Lambert in?" Sharpay asked, leaning forward on the marble counter. "I have an appointment with her today and I believe I'm fifteen minutes late."

Tanya gave her an understanding look. "Don't worry about it, honey. Dr. Lambert's still attending to a patient. I'll inform her that you're here."

"Thanks," Sharpay said and took a seat on the leather couch. She picked up a magazine on the table and started flipping through it, scarcely interested in the articles about healthy lifestyle.

"Hi, Sharpay."

She looked up and saw her doctor, dressed in a white lab coat with her hands in its pockets. A pair of stethoscope hung from her shoulder, her straight mahogany copper hair fell just below her ears and she had trusting olive green eyes.

Laying the magazine back on the table, Sharpay stood up and shook the woman's hand. "Hi, Dr. Lambert."

"How're you feeling today?"

"A bit tired though, but I'm fine," Sharpay replied as they headed over to the examination room. "Thanks," she said as Dr. Lambert held the door for her to go in first.

"Drama went long?"

Sharpay nodded and sat down on the chair provided. "You have no idea."

"How's Ryan?"

She tensed slightly at that question. Her brother had always accompanied her whenever she came for her regular check-ups, and this was Sharpay's first time alone. "He's fine," Sharpay informed her with a shrug.

Dr. Lambert studied her for a moment before she sat down in front of the blonde girl. "Did you two get into a fight?"

"He's just busy," Sharpay lied.

Dr. Lambert just nodded and retrieved a light blue file from the sorting tray on the table. She began flipping through the pages, noting certain things down now and then. "You guys argued, didn't you?" she stated knowingly. "Care to share?"

Sharpay dropped her gaze. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Whatever it is, Shar, he's still your brother," Dr. Lambert reminded her. "He needs to know."

_No, he doesn't._

Sharpay sighed, just wanting to drop the subject. "How am I doing?"

Dr. Lambert placed the file gently down and took a moment to gather the right words to say. It felt like forever, but then she took a deep breath. "Shar…I can't tell you anything at the moment, but I'll need to run a few more tests on you just to make sure of certain things."

"You said that two months ago."

"Sharpay—"

"Are you hiding something from me?"

Dr. Lambert reached out and held Sharpay's hand in a reassuring gesture.

"I just need some more time."

* * *

It had been forty minutes since she went into the clinic, and Troy was beginning to fall asleep waiting in his car. He had his feet propped up on the dashboard, bopping his head to the upbeat music playing on the radio. He glanced down at the clock on this cellphone for what seemed like the eighth time and clicked his tongue.

_What's she doing in there that's taking so long?_ he wondered, considering the possibilities. _Maybe she's just having a regular check-up? Shit! What if she's pregnant?_

Troy gulped, his throat felt like sand paper as a million thoughts raced through his head, swirling around like a mixed-up cauldron of emotions. A tingling chill shivered down his spine and he realized how serious the consequences are. Groaning, he dropped his face into the palms of his hands, unable to believe just how bloody stupid he was. He'd heard everything in health class and mostly drifted off to dreamland right through every video that were being shown.

_What the hell! Now when everything falls right on top of you, you wish someone reminded you of condoms._ He faintly shook his head and laughed, sharp and short to relieve some stuff. _I'm so fucking screwed._

Being an eighteen-year-old teenage boy, Troy hadn't the slightest clue about parenting. Most importantly, was he ready to accept the responsibility of becoming a father? He hadn't even tried babysitting, though he had seen just how natural Sharpay was with kids. But she had dreams and with her talent, she wouldn't have a problem reaching a glamorous career. Was she going to throw it all away to raise a child?

_His_ child?

_I'm going to be a dad, for crying out loud!_

Things weren't going to be easy. They would both have to drop out of high school, get married and take up odd jobs just to make ends meet. She'd hate him for the rest of her life and they'd quarrel all the time till she couldn't stand it anymore and file a divorce.

Maybe she would get an abortion.

_Are you out of your damn mind, Bolton?_

At that moment, Sharpay came out of the clinic. She got into her black BMW and drove off. Troy scrambled to put his feet down and lower the volume of the song at the same time. Then he started his engine to go after her, speculating where she might be heading to next. His query was soon answered when she arrived at a familiar street and backed up into her driveway. Stopping his car round the corner a certain distance away, Troy watched her enter the mansion.

_Great! Now what?_

As much as Troy was aching to find out his future marital status, he knew he couldn't just go up to her doorstep, demanding her to spill out the truth. If it turned ugly, he might bring back a red handprint on his cheek as a souvenir. He sat there for nearly twenty minutes, staring intently at her huge oak door, trying to decide on his plan of action.

Suddenly, the door opened. On instinct, Troy dived down and crouched low. He held his breath and waited till he heard a car drive past. From his rearview mirror, he identified Sharpay's undeniably spotless posh car and quickly made a sharp U-turn. She was cruising for a bit with the sunroof down, allowing the wind to play with her blonde hair. The sun was glistening down and Troy barely noticed where he was going because he was simply mesmerized by her. He hadn't even realized that they had passed by the steep bit down the hill by Derby Park and taken an exit towards the highway.

It wasn't till he heard a distant sound of crashing waves that it came clear to him they were driving down the coastal line and that he was looking at the sea. The signboard ahead read 'Pure Shores'. Troy tilted his head in curiosity. He usually only came down to the beach during the summer break, but it had always been so crowded. Sharpay pulled into an available lot and Troy stopped his car by a concession stand along the boardwalk. He watched as she hopped out of her convertible and stood with her hands on her hips, gazing out into the horizon.

The beach was practically empty, except for some locals who were either waxing their surfboards or having some drinks in the shack. However, it was the fine whitish sand, shimmering sweeps of clear aquamarine water that created laces of foam as they came into shore at regular intervals, and proudly curved feathers of palm trees and towering coconut trees that lured people in.

Just then, before his very eyes, Sharpay reached for the hem of her yellow sundress and pulled it over her head, revealing a sensuous pair of white bikini. Troy's cerulean blue eyes widened, gorging on her and taking in everything from the crown of her soft tresses to the slender slope of her neck, traveling further south as he admired her curvaceous form and down to her flat stomach, where he stopped transfixed at her navel, each feature catalogued distinctly in his mind.

His heart skipped a beat at such perfection and he was well aware of the strain in his pants. Clearing his throat, he tried to get the naughty thoughts—the ones which had settled in ever since the night at the party—out of his head. Troy sunk lower in his seat as Sharpay pulled out a baby blue thruster out from the backseat.

His eyebrows sprung up.

_Sharpay knows how to surf?_

It was a little difficult to believe at first though, but when he saw her jog down the sand with her board tucked under her arm and get out amongst the waves, it left Troy marveled and speechless. He got out of his red Saab and leaned against the hood, watching as Sharpay paddled out and catch a wave. She laid it flat down on the bottom turn and came off in a long slingshot that fired her up into the wall as the feather of the lip began to peel. Then she dragged a casual hand, and faded back into the barrel. For an instant, she disappeared within that revolving, boring, white-blue precision of water and did that quintessential thing that a surfer could do—got inside, and just when he thought that she might have wiped out, she re-emerged, poised in a calm stance of grace. Sharpay exploded out of that, with a great flare of a cut-back that sent spray arcing way out over the water before thumping face first into the silvery blue sea.

_Oh, fuck!_

The split second Sharpay went under, Troy thought his pulse died. Smaller waves were rolling in and everything got sort of quiet. Between her radical skills and striking beauty, she was easily the first thing anybody was able to see from afar. But he didn't see her. He squinted hard, and spotted something drifting aimlessly on the surface.

_That's Sharpay's surfboard!_ he thought, his brains ringing in alarm. Frantically, he scanned the spot, mentally reminding himself to remain calm. _Where is she?_

"Shit, shit, shit," Troy muttered over and over again.

* * *

**A/N: **Crap and credits time! Haha…okay, for those of you who do live in USA, I'm sure you can tell the name of the park and the beach is bogus. I know, I dread doing research on places and stuff, and I don't think Albuquerque has a beach, does it? So, yeah, to play it safe, I didn't even mention that the story's taking place there…hehe…let's just create a whole new world for Troypay. This would be my version of Troypayville. Haha…  
I can't surf for nuts. I've designed on a surfboard before but I know nothing about it—seriously. You try to surf in Singapore—actually, I suggest not even trying. There are absolutely NO stinking waves here. Therefore, I'm basing everything on what I've read in books and on the internet. Fine, so maybe I did do a bit of research here and there, and I apologise if that small bit sounds alien—it used to be for me as well.

**Forbiddenfiction: **You're the first to review for this chapter! Yay! Haha…well, firstly THANK YOU SO MUCH for leaving such a long review. It's an awesome feeling, you know, when people spend time and effort just to think of something to say about the story, so yeah!  
1. Hehe…that bit about Troy leaving after he'd kissed her, it's not entirely original. It's a tactic some authors use in stories when a character tries to seduce another character—it sort of leaves the other character wanting more. It's anti-climatic, and you'd get people yelling "WHAT?!" at you, but that would be the main purpose, anyway. Hehe…  
2. Well, everybody's gonna sort of poof off for a while, because well, they're not entirely important at this point of time. I just need to establish the connection and relationship of Troy and Sharpay, and when it's time, they'll slowly edge in. Haha…there's no doubt that she'll melt into him but you didn't hear that from me…  
3. Haha…here's a little secret…sometimes I feel guilty about writing this story, because it's manipulating the original storyline, and I'm not sure if the original writer would be flattered people are using his/her characters and producing other non-Disney-esque kind of stories. But I know, in a way, there's nothing wrong as long as I'm not interfering with the actual cast members acting in HSM. I used to have a fanfic on real life celebrities and it was really difficult, mainly because since I'm not entirely sure how they are like behind cameras, my stories aren't usually accurate, which just makes the whole story suck! So, maybe not a Jared/Ashley story, yeah?  
4. Lily's about 9 years old.  
Hope this update works for you! Enjoy!!

**Xamyxjx: **Hi!! THANK YOU SO MUCH for reviewing over and over again and always reading my story, and also for putting this story under your alerts!! Haha…I do have MSN, but I hardly go online because I can only access to the internet in school…urgh! Erm…hehe…what's hopoked? Anyway, hope you like this update!!

**Noukka: **Thanks for reading and reviewing! Hehe…this update's by far the fastest I've done so far, and don't worry, I wasn't rushing through, but I hope it's good enough, though. Love you too!!!

**Stessa: **You've always managed to review my chapters and it feels really good when someone actually follows up with the story, and also respond to it! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I was afraid that bit about Troy confronting Sharpay might sound awkward at some point because I wasn't entirely sure how a scene like that should be written, so I'm just writing it as how I picture it in my head…hehe…maybe too much drama in my noodle, but I love exaggerating things! Haha…Hope you liked this chapter!

**Chris tea xx: **Hi!! Haha…THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I love reading your reviews because it NEVER fails to bring a smile to my face and just brighten up my day! –blush- AWWWW…you're so brilliant to have around! Haha…I'd attack Troy's lips too and we'd have hot kinky foreplay together! Wait…too much info…forget I said that. There's only one person I want to jump on and he'd better not be reading this. So anyway…I won't tell Brandon, promise! 'The way you look at me'…-sigh- if only a certain someone would say that to me. But you know, it's the title of the story so it needs emphasis…haha…I've always wanted to portray Troy as a cheesy person with at least a certain degree of wit, you know, behind that macho façade, he's a total soap opera cum Shakespeare sort. And yup…he went OUT the door!! Whee!! That part was really fun to write! Haha…well, usually, I'd write the rough draft out on paper (that's for when I can just jot down anything that comes to my mind) and then the serious stuff comes in when I sit down in front of my laptop. But most of the time when I get stuck, I'd shift to doing my assignments, which would usually take about 2 to 3 hours just designing the interface. And when I feel like going back to the story, I'd be too tired, and then I'd continue it the next day…so yeah, that's the cycle :P Hope you liked this update!! Take care! Muax!

**Xstarglossx: **Hi!! Hmm…I've never actually seen myself as a saint because mostly I'm a sinner –grins evilly- but THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'm flattered!! Don't worry, though, there'll be lots of drama and shouting and making out and stuff to come! Hint, hint! In the meantime, hope you liked this chapter!!

**AshleyZac4life: **Thank you so much for reviewing!! Hope you're fine with this update:D

**Jessebabe23: **Hi!! Wow!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I'm really honored to be in your favourites!! This is so cool!! Hope this bit doesn't disappoint you!!

**Paradise-maker786: **Hi!! Haha…it's okay, I forgive you…hehe…really, it's fine, don't fret over it. I'm glad you read it though, and I know just how annoying school computers can be like! Yup! I've DEFINITELY read 'Unlove You'! It's so wild and I LOVE it! Tattoos and semi-drugs reflects the reality of teenagers and basically, I LOVE the entire story! Muahaha…yup, more HOT and SEXY stuff coming up, though not so soon…I'm taking back a few privileges for this chapter, so no Troypay I this one…awww…haha…don't want to give away too much of the plot, yeah, but I guess certain things are predictable –winks- I've read your fanfics and I love them!!! Keep updating, yeah? Hope you like this chapter!

**X0emz0x: **Hi! Thanks for the compliment! –blush-…hope you've enjoyed reading this update!

The lines 'She laid it flat down on the bottom turn and came off in a long slingshot that fired her up into the wall as the feather of the lip began to peel' is partly taken from the book **"Last Wave" by Paul Hayden.  
**"**A Walk to Remember" **is originally a novel written by **Nicholas Sparks**, and then made into a movie starring Mandy Moore and Shane West. Go watch it!!!

Song used – "Can't Let You Go" by Jesse McCartney.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Okey dokes! Here's chapter 9! I'm not entirely proud of it, but yeah…

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 9**

**I'm strong  
But I break  
I'm stubborn  
And I make plenty of mistakes**

"Yes!"

Sharpay let out a triumphant whoop and punched her fist in the air when she reached the surface of the water. She loved the feeling a good wave always gave her because the adrenalin rush was an absolute thrill. Threading for a bit, she noticed her surfboard floating a few feet away. She swam over and hauled herself up to sit on it, her head still high up in the clouds. The surf had knocked some air and tension out of her body, and she felt more relaxed, as though some weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

_The sweetest escape,_ she thought with a contented sigh.

A small smile played upon her lips as she indulged in the cool breeze brushing past her cheek, drying the salt on her skin while she watched the sun sink into the horizon, painting the sky with a warm shade of orange. Her spine was still tingling, and tiny fireworks were bursting inside of her, an incredible headiness taking over. She was left breathless.

It had the phenomenon of performing on stage in front of dozens of people. It had the happiness it gave her every time she visited all the children at the orphanage. It was like pumping hard liquor through her veins, working on her like a drug.

She dipped her fingers into the sea and mindlessly swirled it around, creating ripples that were soon washed away by the waves.

And maybe…

_Maybe it's like falling in love?_

Sharpay shook her head and let out a bitter laugh, immediately dismissing that idea.

_Ice Queens don't fall in love._

**Yeah I'm hard  
And life with me is never easy  
To figure out, to love  
I'm jaded but oh so lovely**

Then she turned her board around and paddled back to shore, making her way to her convertible. Sliding her thruster into the back seat, she fished out a towel from her backpack and quickly dried herself off—not bothering but rather enjoying the stickiness of the ocean on her body—before she threw on a pair of white denim shorts and a soft pink tank top over her swimsuit.

Her stomach rumbled.

_Urgh! I knew I should've eaten some of Mrs. Collingsworth's banana muffins before I went out of the house._

Sharpay got into her car and drove off to one of her favourite fast food joints. In other circumstances, she would've opted for something healthier—like a sushi bar or some salad—but she was starving and it didn't really matter anymore. De Mac's huge and inviting sign came into view, and she made a turn for the nearest empty parking lot. She was relieved to find that there weren't many people—and none that went to her school—in the diner.

"A double turkey bacon, large fries and a large coke, with some extra ketchup please," she ordered at the counter.

Settling herself down in a booth at a secluded corner, she began gobbling up everything, not the least bit concerned that she must've looked like a repulsive, ravaging beast that hadn't had a single meal in weeks. She finished her meal in less than ten minutes and downed her drink in about thirty seconds flat but sat there for a while, trying to digest as much as she could. Pulling out her sidekick, she began checking for any unread messages. There was one from Lily. Though it was only a short thank you for the party the other day, it made Sharpay giggle, knowing she must've somehow snuck into Carmen's room to 'borrow' her mobile for a while.

She was about to tuck the phone back into her pocket when it rang. The name 'Kelsi' flashed on the screen, and Sharpay contemplated on whether she should answer it. Kelsi wasn't a born extrovert but Sharpay couldn't deny her talent, though she wouldn't admit it aloud. They hardly even spoke in school, what more call each other.

_This ought to be important, I guess,_ she thought, pressing the phone to her ear.

"What is it, Nelson?" she barked, automatically switching to her icy self.

"Hi—hi, Sharpay…I…er…I—"

"For heaven's sake! You're wasting my precious time," Sharpay snapped. "If you're not going to tell me anything in the next ten seconds or so, I'm going to bill my charges to you."

That did the job.

"I just want to remind you to bring the music sheets tomorrow," Kelsi blurted out in one breath at the other end of the line.

"That's it?" Sharpay shrieked into the receiver.

"Well, yes and—"

"Have you ever heard of a text message?"

"I'm sorry, I—"

"Get off the line—now!" she ordered, and instantly heard the monotonous dial tone.

Sharpay blew away some of the hair that had fallen over her eyes.

_At least all that vocal exercises are good for something!_

Ever since Sharpay was six, she had taken up plenty of acting classes, where she was taught how to go about projecting her voice and using it as a tool to further emphasize on her body language. She had been trained early, and had perfected almost every possible emotion. That didn't mean she was proud of her abilities, though.

If only…

Sometimes she wished that…

**I'm confusing as hell  
I'm north and south  
And I'll probably never have it all figured out**

Sharpay sighed and slid out of the booth. She hopped into her car, cranked the stereo up a notch and headed home. It had gotten dark but the night air was refreshing. Feeling a tad bit devilish, she broke the speed limit the moment she hit the highway and simply relished in the incredible feeling of wind in her hair. The moment she reached the mansion, she knew that nobody was in. Mrs. Collingsworth had gone back and there weren't any lights on.

She grabbed her surfboard and backpack, then unlocked the door and entered the house. Totally dark, she fumbled for the switch and turned on the lights. Sometimes it was rather scary to be home all alone but recently, she had gotten quite used to it. Sharpay's thruster made loud thudding noises as she lugged it up the stairs to her room. However, just as she was about to turn the knob, she heard the sound of the doorbell.

_How convenient,_ she thought, rolling her eyes.

Leaning the blue board against the wall, she scurried down the steps and threw open the door.

_What the—_

"You?!"

"Hi, Sharpay."

**But what I know is I wasn't meant to walk this world without you  
And I promise I'll try  
Yeah I'm gonna try to give you every little part of me**

"What is it this time, Bolton?" she snarled menacingly, planting her right hand on her hip, shifting her weight to one leg.

He gave her a shrewd smirk. "I didn't know you were an amazing surfer."

Externally, Sharpay appeared unfazed by his words, but internally, her stomach was doing backflips and her heart was pounding a mile an hour. She cleared her throat. "That's interesting, me neither," she said sarcastically, trying to cover up for her momentary slip.

**Every single detail you missed with your eyes  
Then maybe  
Maybe, yeah maybe**

Too late, though. Troy saw through her lie.

"And I didn't know you loved double turkey bacon as well," he added smugly. "Tell me, Sharpay. Do you always wolf down your food like that when you think no-one's looking?"

Sharpay lost her jaw. "What the fuck! Where'd you—were you spying on me?"

"Can we finish this inside?" he asked, glancing around self-consciously, knowing that the whole neighbourhood might be able to hear her.

"Can pigs fly?" she shot back, folding her arms across her chest.

Troy cringed slightly, looking sheepish and uncertain all of a sudden. "I'll take that as a 'no'?"

"Wow, didn't think you'd figure that one out."

"Please?"

**I don't want to be tough  
And I don't want to be proud  
I don't need to be fixed and I certainly don't need to be found  
I'm not lost**

Sharpay didn't know if it was the way he was looking at her—with those darn irresistible cerulean blues—or the fact that deep down she had a soft spot for him, but reluctantly she allowed him into the house. Troy gave her a boyish smile as she closed the door, and for a moment she subconsciously returned it before promptly realizing what she was doing and plastered a frown on her face.

"Why were you stalking me?" she demanded.

"Firstly, stalking—a bit too strong a word, don't you think?"

Sharpay fixed him with a deadly glare. "Do you want to see daylight tomorrow?"

"Never mind," he said, and then took a deep breath. "I—you—Are you pregnant?"

"What?!"

"I saw you at the clinic just now and—"

"So you _were_ spying on me?" Sharpay spat out.

"I was curious!" His voice went up an octave higher. "I mean, when I saw you at the orphanage—"

"Orphanage? How long ago was that?"

"Er…two days?"

"You sick bastard!" she raged on. "What else have you done? Did you fix a camera in my room and watch me in the shower—"

"No! God, Sharpay, I followed you—"

She threw her hands in the air. "Unbelievable! You followed me!"

"Will you let me finish?" Troy fumed, running his fingers through his dark mahogany hair in frustration. "The first time I followed you was because I needed to talk to you, Shar. It was then that I found out that you're a volunteer at the orphanage."

Sharpay arched an eyebrow. "So you wanted to talk to me? And instead of calling me to do so, you've decided to take up a part-time job of a stalker?"

"You didn't meet me after school that day," he murmured.

"Oh, it was compulsory?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"Damnit, Sharpay!"

"I didn't want to meet you because I wasn't ready, Troy!" she revealed, her voice cracking slightly. "Things are as complicated as it was and I needed time. You couldn't just come crashing into my life and expect 'happily ever after'. My life's not a freakin' fairy tale. It's not so simple. Oh, and don't worry so much, I'm not pregnant."

**Someday  
When we're at the same place  
When we're on the same road  
When it's okay to hold my hand  
Without feeling lost  
Without all the excuses  
When it's just because you love me, you let me, you need me  
Then maybe, maybe**

He fell silent and just stood there staring at her. "Sharpay—"

"You'd better go—now."

Troy reduced the gap between them as he took a few steps closer to her. He was within inches of her, and she was forced to tilt her head back to look at him. Her instinct for self-preservation screamed at her to run, but the fervor in his eyes compelled her to stay. His mouth was dangerously close to hers as he bent over and whispered, "Shar, I—"

"No, Troy, don't do it," she muttered.

"Do what?"

"You were about to kiss me," she pointed out and shoved him away. "Please, go, before I do something I might regret."

"I don't want—"

"Just fucking go, Bolton!" she shouted.

"Fine," Troy said. Holding up his hands in surrender, he backed away from her. "I'll go."

However, just as he was about to open the door, he paused.

**All you have to do is hold me  
And you'll know and you'll see just how sweet it can be  
If you'll trust me, love me, let me  
Maybe, maybe**

"Why'd you have to hide who you really are, Sharpay? You're perfect just that way."

* * *

A rare breeze fanned the full leaves of the huge pecan tree in one small corner of the property, the rustling creating a natural soothing lullaby. The undergrowth was lush and the moss dipped almost to the ground. 

In the near darkness, a long, lean shadow separated itself from the trunk and moved out of its hiding place. He pushed aside the draping wisteria vines and revealed his pale blonde hair, falling into a pair of steely gray eyes. From where he stood patiently waiting, he was able to see the suspicious old red Saab that had been parked in his driveway since he'd returned home fifteen minutes ago.

He didn't want to care, kept reminding himself that she had pushed him out of her life, but there were still questions in his head left unanswered, and if she wasn't going to tell him anything, he was going to find out. She could be as stubborn as she wanted to but he was equally as determined.

_Who are you?_

She had sparked an empty hollow in his soul—one which she had dug up so deep, it went beyond an abyss. When he slept at night, it was as though the pieces of the wall he had built around his heart slowly crumbled each time he heard her cry. It was undeniable just how strong of a connection they had. He felt her sorrow and her pain, and it had taken every last will in his body to restrain himself from running into her room and pulling her into the safe comfort of his arms.

But he couldn't do it. He simply just couldn't.

Because he wanted—no, he _needed_—to know what drove her away.

_Is this why you're keeping secrets from me, Shar?_

Just then, the door opened and a figure appeared. Without a doubt, the person was male, probably some high school jock, by the look of his physique—nothing his baggy sweats managed to hide. His jaws tightened as the possibilities began rolling in—ugly possibilities, that would want to make him clobber that bugger into pulp and bury him alive. He watched with clenched fists as the sad twat descended the stairs and headed for the car, ready to pounce.

But he didn't.

For just as the lad reached for the handle, the lamp overhead illuminated his features.

And at that moment, Ryan Evans couldn't believe who it was.

_Troy Bolton?!_

* * *

It was happening again. 

The excruciating pain was unbearable. The pounding in her head got louder and she felt as if someone was slamming drumsticks into her brain, stabbing through the gray matter. Sharpay jerked her head back and gritted her teeth as the throbbing continued to pierce through her body. She shoved her hands against her ears, trying to keep from screaming in agony.

She squeezed her eyes shut and dropped her knees to the floor, barely able to stand on her own feet. Her hands weren't able to stifle the burning electricity that pulsed down to her heart. She let out a sharp cry. Her lungs were beginning to heat up and her breaths came out in short gasps. She could feel her own blood rushing through her veins up to her face as she took in gulps of air.

Sharpay began coughing violently. Wheezing, she reached out for a piece of tissue paper and held it over her mouth. It had taken tremendous effort and she winced as her ribs hurt each time she shook. Droplets of sweat were running down her face and she struggled to keep her breathing under control.

When at last it subsided, Sharpay hauled herself up to her feet, her hands shaking uncontrollably. Because her legs were still wobbly, she used the sofa to support her weight, bracing herself for another blow.

"Sharpay!"

Her twin brother's voice boomed throughout the house and a few seconds later she heard his thundering footsteps approaching. Immediately, she crushed the piece of tissue paper in her hand and threw it into a small bin at the corner of the place. It went in with great accuracy just as Ryan stormed into the room.

"Sharpay!"

**Let me apologize to begin with  
Let me apologize for what I'm about to say  
But trying to be genuine was harder than it seemed  
But somehow I got caught up in between**

"What the hell, Ryan!" She yelled and spun around. "You don't—" Her words halted in midair the moment she saw the look on his face.

His eyes were cold and accusing, though beneath that surface he was blazing with the rage of a thousand tornadoes. Unconsciously, Sharpay slowly backed away, suddenly terrified with the person in front of her. For the first time in her life, she quailed under her brother's outraged glare. She could have arrows perforating her heart and the pain wouldn't even begin to measure up to that he was causing her at that moment.

He stalked up to her till they were at arm's length.

"What the fuck was Troy Bolton doing here?" His tone was low and dangerous, and his expression left no room for any stupid games.

**Let me apologize to begin with  
Let me apologize for what I'm about to say  
But trying to be someone else was harder than it seemed  
But somehow I got caught up in between**

Sharpay arched an eyebrow. "I don't have to answer that, Ryan. It's none of your damn business."

In any other instances, he would've left it as it was, simply because he didn't want to upset her. However, this wasn't one of them. "I'm making it mine," he told her. "Whether you like it or not."

Sharpay was getting annoyed. "Why can't you just piss off?" she yelled. "Stop poking your bloody nose into my life and start getting yourself one for a change. You can't control what I do or who I do it with, and I don't need your permission for anything!"

**Between my pride and my promise  
Between my lies and how the truth gets in the way  
The things I want to say to you get lost before they come  
The only thing that's worse than one is none**

"Did you just sleep with him?"

A bolt of lightning flashed in her hazel eyes. "You bastard!"

"Well, did you?" he pressed on harder.

"I don't have to answer that either," she snapped.

"I'm just trying to help you!"

She drew her eyes to slits. "I don't need your help, Ryan."

"He has a girlfriend, Shar," he reasoned.

"_That's_ helpful."

"I can't believe you're going to let Troy use you like that and be a whore to that son of a bitch!" Ryan said harshly.

_How dare you!_

Before he could go on, a picture frame flew across the room, narrowly missing his head. It hit a wall behind him and crashed, sending fragments of glass to shatter all over the floor. He stared at her in horror, shocked by her violence.

"Leave. Me. Alone," she seethed.

"Sharpay—"

"You don't know anything about me, Ryan."

"How am I supposed to when you're not going to tell me anything?" he yelled, the last of his patience dissolving in thin air. "How am I supposed to when you're pushing me away? Tell me, how am I supposed to know? We may be twins, Shar, but I'm not telepathic."

"Thank goodness you're not!" she exclaimed heavenwards. "Did it occur to you that maybe I'm entitled to my own privacy?"

"Of course you are," he said.

"Then did it occur to you that you're invading on it?"

"That's because I care for you! Goddamnit, why can't you see that?"

The silence that followed hung in the room like beads on a string.

Then, Ryan walked over to his sister and enveloped her in an affectionate embrace. Sharpay instantly felt safe in his arms, but refused to return the hug even as she rested her chin on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry for what I've said, Shar. I didn't mean to accuse you like that," he murmured into her blonde hair. "It's just that…You weren't telling me what was wrong and I was worried for you. Do you know how useless I felt? I'm your brother and you didn't trust me enough to know that I could help you. I was hurt. Have I not been good enough for you? And then I saw Troy, and—and I felt betrayed. I just—"

"Assumed the worst," she finished for him.

"I know, I overreacted, but I couldn't help being protective of you. If he breaks your heart—"

"He won't, Ryan."

"Why won't you say anything?" he asked softly. "Let me in, please."

**And I cannot explain to you  
In anything I say or do or plan  
Fear is not afraid of you  
Guilt's a language you can understand  
I cannot explain to you in anything I say or do  
I hope the actions speak the words they can**

"I can't," she told him, gently pulling away, making sure her eyes were peeled to the floor. "There are some things that I just have to solve by myself, Ryan."

"Sharpay—"

"I'm sorry."

* * *

**A/N: **This is by far the most awkward chapters I've written! I had writer's block somewhere in the middle and I was going 'oh, shit' but I wanted to go on because completing this bit would get some worry off me. At least when I'm done with this update then I could take a breather till the next chapter, and hopefully something might roll in.  
I have a rough storyline going in my head, except I just don't know how to shape the next chapter. Any ideas what I can include? Maybe then it might trigger something and I'd be able to continue…hehe…so PLEASE…if you can, give me some suggestions. Thank you! 

**Xamyxjx: **Thank you so much!! This chapter isn't my best and frankly, I don't really like it, so I'm really sorry if there are boring parts in there…hehe…do leave me a review though, whether you like it or not, and suggestions on chapter 10 are welcome!

**Stessa: **Thank you loads! Haha…well, when I pictured Gabriella in this story, I sort of wanted her to have this cock-sure attitude going on, you know, like she knows she has the school's most popular guy and she's just trying to show off a bit, thus the change in image. Hehe…and yup, I agree that too much make-up reeks 'attention-seeker', which seems perfect for a certain brunette in the story…hehe…hope you liked this bit (though I seriously hated it).

**Noukka: **Hi! Thanks so much! Okay, so this update is a disappointment…don't lie :P haha…but do tell me if it makes the cut or not, yeah? Love you too!!

**Ascii27: **Thank you so much! Haha…I enjoyed making Gabriella look cheap, and if by real life you mean a certain Miss Hudgens, then yeah, I see a very close resemblance! Sharpay's suffering from…(let's just leave it as that…hehe), but I can't guarantee you that there won't be anybody who'd die in the story. Haha…anorexia never came into my mind, but hmm…you gave me a good idea! Haha…please feed me with more amazing suggestions, yeah?

**Chris tea xx: **Hi girl!! Hehe…okay, okay…I'm SO TERRIBLY SORRY for breaking your heart. Here, give me the pieces and I'll try to glue them together. Do staples work as well? Oh man, that joke sounds so lame, it hurts. Again, I'm SO sorry! A bit depressed about how this chapter turned out. Sorry if I tend to curse a lot in my story…that's the result of listening to too many hiphop and hanging out with people who punctuates each sentence with a swear word. I'll try to tone it down a bit…hehe…'A Walk to Remember' is THE BEST!! Well…the storyline…sort of goes like that…but something just popped into my head and it might just turn the whole story around…haha…So yeah, this chapter is a really sad attempt, and I'm trying not to re-read it or I might end up not updating at all. And at least if this bit's posted, there's no turning back, so I'd have to move on to the next chapter…am I making sense? Writer's block is the worst feeling ever!!

**X Estebanita x: **Hi! Thanks for reviewing! I think by now you would've figured that Sharpay's not dead…hehe…yup, Gabriella's being annoying and it's taking a lot of self-control not to plant a bomb on her body and blow her up, but yeah, that could be a future possibility…hehe (kidding!) This is not my best update, but nonetheless…yeah…

**Panthres: **Thank you so much!! –blush-

**Hsmxzashley: **Hi! Well, Sharpay's fine! Yay! I wouldn't bear to kill her…

**Dead.Sexi.Zashley.Fan: **Hi!! Thank you so much!!! Well, sometimes I wish it is the easiest thing to do, but sadly, I don't own J.K Rowling's brains. Darn! Thank you so much for adding me into your favourites!! This update would probably bore you, but do tell me what you think of it, yeah?

**X0emz0x: **Yup!! I couldn't agree more! 'A Walk to Remember' is my all-time favourite movie (alongside 'Moulin Rouge')! Haha…aren't you glad I hadn't killed Sharpay off? I couldn't do it!

**Forbiddenfiction: **Hi! It's fine that you're not the first, well, you still left a review and it's all that matters! Well, there's nothing much for me to reply, so yeah…this update stinks, I know, but when you do get your internet fixed, tell me what you think of it, yeah?

**Jessebabe23: **Hi!! Aww…thank you so much! –blush- Do tell me what you think of this update, yeah?

'Mac De's' is something I made up, not entirely, but sometimes I call 'McDonald's' that for short form. 'Double turkey bacon' is an absolutely delicious burger from 'Burger King' and I love it to bits!  
The confrontation scene is inspired from the story **"Icebergs and Ice Queens" by Pottergrl15**.  
The line "Firstly, stalking—a bit too strong a word, don't you think?" is inspired by **The O.C**.

Song used – "Maybe" by Kelly Clarkson and "In Between" by Linkin Park


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Okay, okay, I know it's been months since I last updated but I was so caught up with my assignments, it was crazy! I've tried leaving some time just to calm myself down and write, but as son as I sit in front of my laptop, I just felt like sleeping. But, this semester's finally over, and I'm free for a week or so before I head off for my attachment program in U.S. I'm so sorry to keep you guys waiting and probably giving up hope on me ever updating again, but I really intend to finish this story and write it as best I could.

So, without further ado, here's chapter 10. Enjoy!

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 10**

**You used to talk to me like  
I was the only one around.  
You used to lean on me like  
The only other choice was falling down.**

Ryan descended the stairs, his eyelids half-closed and still in a daze. His pale blonde hair stood up in odd directions, and he was clad in an oversized red shirt which fully hid the black boxers underneath. There was an evident trace of drool down the corner of his lips, but he was too sleepy to notice. It wasn't the most attractive sight, but then again, it was such an unreasonable hour to be awoken, he doubt anybody was up. The house sounded as dead as a graveyard. Groaning, he drowsily headed into the kitchen, dragging his feet over to the refrigerator. He pulled out a carton of fresh milk and poured a glass for himself.

He hadn't gotten much sleep—kept tossing and turning in his bed—and he was feeling like a bag of crap. Her words were on replay in his head. No matter how hard he tried to shut them out, he couldn't accept the fact that his sister would rather isolate herself than have some faith in him.

He slowly turned around.

"Morning, Ryan!"

"Oh, shit!" he yelled, practically jumping out of his wits. "Jeez, Shar! You scared the hell out of me!"

Sharpay snickered. "Sorry, sorry," she said and took a sip of her orange juice before resuming to reading the pieces of paper in her hands.

"Apology accepted," Ryan smiled as he sat down on the high stool next to her. He rested his arms on the marble countertop and studied his sister, who seemed to have been up and about way before him. She was already dressed for the day in a white vest with a faux fur collar over a sparkling cyan lace-trimmed camisole, a pair of designer jeans and boots to complete the outfit. Just her hair though, set in loose curls, could've taken her at least half an hour. "Where are you off so early?" he asked.

She shrugged. "To school."

"At seven in the morning?"

"I need to get some things done for the play before first period," she explained, her eyes not leaving the paper.

**You used to walk with me like  
We had nowhere we needed to go,  
Nice and slow, to no place in particular.**

Curiously, Ryan leaned over. "What's that?"

"They're just some songs I wrote, but I don't think they're good enough yet," she told him, finally glancing up. "Kelsi wants the music sheets as soon as possible because Mrs. Darbus needs the finalized sequence before we do a final proof-read of the script." Then she rolled her eyes and added, "What a bitch."

He gave her a playful nudged. "Look who's talking, dear sister. Don't forget how you turned into some kind of a domineering control freak the last time you co-wrote a production for the drama club with Kelsi."

Sharpay defensively pointed her index finger at him. "Hey, I only wanted the best and you weren't exactly being accommodating, you know. All you kept doing was flirt with a totally bimbotic understudy."

"She was hitting on me."

"How typically male," she smirked. "Tell me one thing, Ry. Do your raging hormones ever think of anything else besides a girl's cleavage and big asses?"

Ryan paused to think. "Yeah, sometimes it tends to stretch a little bit more."

"How often is that?" Sharpay narrowed her eyes.

"An average man thinks about sex at least two hundred and thirty-eight times a day."

"What? You're serious?"

He nodded. "Sure," he chuckled. "And, you know how when guys are always adjusting their belts, standing with their hands in their pockets? Well, that's when they're thinking about it."

Sharpay cringed and shielded her face with one hand. "Oh my God, why did you have to tell me that? Now it's going to be stuck in my head—forever! Thank you."

"Anytime, Shar," he grinned in amusement.

They fell into a peaceful silence and the tension from the night before felt like it had never happened between them. Ryan felt a sudden ease, a small assurance that things might go back to the way it was, and maybe Sharpay might finally tell him what was going on in her life. Maybe this was what she had been trying to tell him, only he was stupid enough not to see reason to it. There was a certain relief in his sigh.

**We used to have this figured out;  
We used to breathe without a doubt.  
When nights were clear, you were the first star that I'd see.  
We used to have this under control.**

He faced his sister and saw that she was staring into space, her forehead creased with a troubled expression. "Sharpay?" he said softly, tilting his head in a concerned manner.

She blinked out of her train of thoughts. "Huh?"

"Are you okay?" he asked cautiously, gazing into her hazel eyes, noting the glistening layer of tears forming in them.

"Yeah," she mumbled. "I'm just—just a bit stressed out at the moment. I'll be fine."

"You sure?"

She quickly plastered a mega-watt smile. "Yes, yes. Don't worry so much about me. I was just thinking about the play," she said.

Ryan was skeptical, but nonetheless he didn't want to question her credibility. Instead, he decided to play along because the last thing he needed was his twin to lose the trust and confidence in him, and then start pushing him away again. If it was time that she wanted, it was what he was going to give. "It's going to be awesome, Shar. I know it is."

"Thanks, Ryan," she grinned half-heartedly. "Listen, I've got to go now. See you in school, dear brother."

**We never thought.  
We used to know.  
At least there's you, and at least there's me.  
Can we get this back?  
Can we get this back to how it used to be?**

Dropping a brief kiss on Ryan's cheek, she rushed out of the front door. He hesitated for a while, then walked over to the huge window in the living room and stood there for a few seconds. Lifting the curtain up a bit, he watched as Sharpay tossed her handbag carelessly into the backseat of her convertible before getting into the driver's side and starting the engine. She sat there, hands on the steering wheel, leaning her head back against the leather seat.

_What are you thinking about, Shar?_ he wondered.

**I look around me,  
And I want you to be there  
'Cause I miss the things that we shared.  
Look around you.  
It's empty, and you're sad  
'Cause you miss the love that we had.**

Suddenly she began coughing, her shoulders quaking with masked agony. Ryan looked away, unable to bear seeing her enduring so much pain. She didn't deserve it at all. When at last it subsided, she took some time to catch her breath, her chest heaving from the immense effort. Then she put the car into gear and drove out of the gate, leaving him torn and frustrated. Ryan hung his head and pounded his tightly-clenched fist on the glass pane. He was unable to believe that she was lying to him again.

_I know you want to be strong, sis, but you have to remember that you don't need to go through this alone..._

He pushed away from his perch and glanced up at the clock on the wall, realizing that he needed to get dressed for school. Turning around, he was about to head up the stairs when something caught his eye. He squinted into the rubbish bin and reached in to pick it up.

_What the hell!_

Ryan felt his throat constrict and his stomach churn. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the blood-stained tissue paper in his palm.

_Sharpay!_

* * *

The slamming of her hands on the keys produced a dreadful chord and Sharpay thought it suited her mood perfectly well. All the frustration that kept building inside each time she couldn't hit the right tune were released in one single blow. Her shoulders sagged with a defeated sigh but she couldn't help feeling a complete sense of satisfaction, transferring her pain to a comatose object.

Tunneling her fingers through her well-brushed golden tresses, Sharpay stared hard at the music sheet in front of her, as though demanding—willing—that something inspirational might pop up. Seconds that passed turned to full minutes and she still had nothing. Zilch.

She groaned. _How am I going to do this?_ she wondered.

Sharpay knew, however, that she wasn't going to get much done just sitting there, so clearing her throat; she regained her composure and gently placed her fingers on the piano keys. She reread the first few bars on the page and began playing the song, humming along with the melody. It was magical and emotional, yet there was something missing.

She just didn't know what.

"'Cause there's something in the way you look at me…" she sang, her voice a caressing serenade. "It's as if my heart knows you're the missing piece…you made me believe—" She struck an awkward chord and froze. Then she decided to try it again. "You made me believe—"

Again, something wasn't right.

"Urgh!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "That's it!"

"You made me believe that there's nothing in the world I can't be…"

A chill ran down Sharpay's spine the instant she recognized that voice—that irresistible, husky mellow voice.

"Never know that you see…"

"But there's something in the way you look at me," she finished, muttering the lyrics under her breath. Sharpay let out another sigh and pivoted her head. "Haven't you had enough of stalking me for the past two days or so?"

Troy Bolton stood below the stage, tilting his head up slightly to look at her with that incredibly boyish smile, and Sharpay cursed inwardly at how adorable he was. She wasn't supposed to be the least bit affected by him, but the way blood was whooshing to her face made that task seem very difficult. Quickly, she plastered a scowl and averted her attention back to the music sheets.

"No, not really," he replied with a nonchalant shrug. "I want to know what other skeletons you have hiding in your closet."

Narrowing her eyes, she said through gritted teeth, "I don't have any other skeletons hiding in my closet."

"Besides the ones that I already know, that is," he said, arching his eyebrow as he slowly made his way up the steps towards her.

"Why don't you just mind your fucking business, Bolton?" Sharpay hissed scornfully.

"I am," he answered. Then his voice dropped to a raspy whisper. "My fucking business is to make you mine."

Although Sharpay hid it well, pretending she didn't hear his last sentence, the hair at the nape of her neck stood on its ends and she was unable to suppress the slight shudder that ran through her body down to her toes. She didn't turn to look, but she knew that Troy was directly behind her. She could feel the warmth of his presence—both comforting and erotic—in their close proximity. Suddenly, the air seemed thick with charged sensuality and Sharpay's breath locked inside her.

"Wow, I'm impressed," she said, managing a smirk. "Was that a Troy Bolton original or did you get that from 'World's Most Cheesiest Lines Dot Com'?"

"Shar…"

Before he could lay a hand on her shoulder, she jumped to her feet and took a step away from him. "Do you think I'm some kind of trophy you can acquire overnight? I'm not yours, Troy, and you can't own me as you like."

"Shar…"

She whirled around and found her nose just inches from his. The gentle caress of his breath against her skin brought tingles of sensation spiraling up in her stomach. Her hazel brown eyes met with his incredible cerulean blue ones, and instantly she felt her pulse speed up. It was the look she found in them that captivated her beyond extent—filled with outmost determination, unfaltering sincerity, unquestionable trust and so much more that were barely containable.

Just then, he leaned in closer.

Sharpay blinked back to reality. "What are you trying to do, Troy?" she demanded, planting her hands on her hips.

"Something I should've done a long time ago," he murmured.

"Don't," she spoke firmly, shocked by the difficulty in getting that syllable out. "You have a girlfriend."

"I don't love her."

For that nanosecond, it seemed time stood still. She couldn't breathe. There wasn't enough room in her chest to hold all the emotions that were surging through her. As much as she tried to appear cool, sophisticated, unmoved, unbent or unaffected, the fact was that the statement had turned her bones to jelly and her muscles to mush. Sharpay paused, weighing the truth and credibility of his words.

"You don't love me either."

Troy tried to reach out for her hand but she pulled away. "I _do_ love you," he said. It was a strained confession and she wasn't ignorant.

"No, you don't," she spat out and spun around so that she wouldn't have to face him, and that he wouldn't be able to witness the tears that were gathering in her eyes, clouding her vision. Quickly, she tried to blink them away, unaware that it left a trail of moisture down her cheek. "God, Troy! That one night was a fucking mistake, alright?"

"I don't love you because we had sex, Shar!"

"You don't love me at all," she shot back.

There was a thin silence—so fragile with expectancy—for the words to sink into his head before she continued, "what do _you_ know about love, anyway?"

"Back at you, spoilt brat."

Her hand swung up to slap his face, but Troy caught her wrist in midair and he yanked her towards him.

"You've already fallen in love with me, Shar, I know you do," he hissed. "You're just too much of a bitch to admit it."

His fast reflexes caught the other hand that was aiming for his cheek.

Sharpay was fuming more than she can ever remember in her entire life. "I'll never fall in love with an egotistical son of a fucked-up bastard!"

The intensity in his eyes said it all. "I'm going to make you admit that you love me."

"I'd like to see you try," she challenged.

A smug grin tugged at his lips. "For starters, I'm going to break up with her."

"Do whatever you want, Bolton. I don't think—"

Sharpay was cut off when Troy's lips came crashing down on hers. He released his tight grip on her and glided his hands down her sides, causing her to squirm as he plunged his tongue deep into her mouth for a fierce duel. His arms held her imprisoned against him, and she felt the stirrings in his loins. Instantly, her eyes sprung wide open and she shoved him away with all her might.

"What the fuck was that all about?" she sputtered.

Breathlessly, he answered, "you said I could do whatever I want."

And with that, Troy Bolton hopped off the stage and disappeared out of the theatre, leaving Sharpay to stand alone with the spotlight shining solely down on her.

"Argh!"

* * *

_Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous. Love is never boastful or conceited. It is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense and is not resentful. _

With her dark brown eyes peeled to the script in her hands, Gabriella strode down the semi-crowded corridor, determined to memorise the lines by heart. She desperately wanted the character of Jamie Sullivan in the upcoming play and had even gotten the hard copy before anyone else. She knew she was putting Kelsi's position in the drama club on the line, but she was willing to take the risk. Her brows furrowed slightly as she chewed on her cuticle out of habit. Learning lines were usually nothing but a breeze—with her high I.Q and all—though somehow, the words on the page just weren't registering into her head and she didn't know why.

_Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins, but delights in the truth. It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes…_

Suddenly she gasped as a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her into an empty room.

"Troy?"

As soon as he had closed the door behind him, he turned around to face her.

_Uh-oh,_ she thought, instantly sensing that something was terribly wrong. If there was anything she knew about her boyfriend, it had to be that he was terrible at hiding his true emotions. Troy's cheeks were flushed and the nervousness in his incredibly blue eyes shone through like a transparent piece of glass.

"Troy?" she called out softly, slightly tilting her head.

He didn't answer her but just leaned his back against the door and stared up at the completely unattractive ceiling, as though the solutions to all his problems were written there. It was a portrait of pure dilemma.

Gabriella's forehead creased with concern. She placed the script down on the table together with her tote bag and took a few tentative steps towards him.

"Sweetheart, is something wrong?" she asked, reaching out to give his arm an affectionate squeeze. "You know you can always talk to me about it."

Troy didn't say anything for the next few seconds.

"Is it your dad again?" she tried.

Mutely, he slowly shook his head.

"Then, what is it?"

Eventually, he glanced down at her and said, "this—'us'—isn't working for me, Gabriella. I'm sorry."

"What?" she breathed. Immediately she withdrew her hand, edging a few feet away from him. Her coffee-coloured eyes were glued on him, wide with disbelief. She could feel the first prick of hot tears gathering in her eyes but she refused to trust her ears. So many words and scenarios played before her—so many new doubts and questions—and she was choking on finding her voice. "You're breaking up with me?" she whispered barely audibly.

"Gabby—" He tried to touch her but she backed off, raising both her hands defensively.

"What was it that I did wrong, Troy?" she sobbed. "How did this happen?"

He simply just shrugged his shoulders.

Gabriella shook her head, her hands trembling as she increased the distance between them. Her mouth, she suddenly realized was dry as dust. Swallowing hard, her eyes darted around while she tried to decipher how everything was collapsing in front of her. "How did this happen?" she choked out in a whisper. "I thought things were perfect between us."

She managed to gather enough strength to look at him, slightly relieved that he looked remorseful, as though his life had taken a hundred and eighty degree turn. Something was happening to him, and he didn't know how to handle it. She waited patiently for him to say something—anything that might give her the slightest hope that maybe something could be done to mend their broken relationship.

"Troy—"

"I don't know what she's doing to me, Gabby," he admitted quietly. Then he paused, taking a deep breath before running his fingers through his shaggy hair, sliding his back down the wall into a squatting position. He seemed so helpless that for a split second, Gabriella wanted to go over, hold him in her arms and just comfort him, but she knew better. He had broken her heart.

Without taking her eyes off him, she asked, "what do you mean?"

"It _was_ perfect between us," he began. "You were the best girlfriend any guy would be lucky to have, but you changed. Maybe I've changed too, but you're suffocating me, Gabriella."

Her breath hitched. He wasn't even going to use her pet name anymore.

"What?"

Troy heaved out a deep sigh. "You became more possessive of me, and you expect me to spend every single available time I have with you. I need some space for myself too, and you were jumping all over my case."

"That's because I'm your girlfriend, Troy, and does it hurt that I want to go out with you now and then?"

"But you're not the same person I met before!" he told her. "You've changed into this bimbotic wannabe that even the cheerleaders are disgusted with! Look at you now, do you even see yourself? Do you see what you've become?"

"I did this all for you, Troy!" she yelled. Her mascara was running already, leaving an ugly black trail of liquid down the side of her face, but she couldn't be bothered. "You're this cool and popular guy in school, and I didn't want to be stuck looking like a bloody nerd beside you."

"What's so wrong about being a nerd, Gabriella?" he countered, rising to his full height. "Did it occur to you that I liked you in the first place because you're smart and you're sweet, and not because of the way you look? You're pretty the way you are, but you weren't satisfied, were you? You thought that by changing the way you look—"

"I wanted to impress you! I wanted to be somebody that you're proud of! I didn't want you to be ashamed of me," she cried, letting all her emotions out. "Was that so wrong?"

"You didn't need to impress me in any other way. I was proud to have such a talented girlfriend who's kind-hearted and affectionate. Everybody liked you just that way, but you couldn't see that. You were so caught up with the popularity, so threatened by somebody else that you started becoming like her. You thought you could overrun her, don't you?" He stopped to smirk. "Guess what, Gabriella? You already did. You proved to be a bigger bitch than she ever was."

"She was stealing you away from me!"

"No, she wasn't. Sharpay had long accepted her status as an Ice Queen in school. She didn't need me in any way. Unlike you, she didn't need to impress me at all to take my heart away," Troy said through gritted teeth.

Gabriella knew that she was losing him, and she couldn't let that happen—not after everything that she had done for him. No, she had given up too much of herself to let him slip out of her grasp.

"Then I'll change—anything, Troy! I love you!"

"It's too late, Gabriella."

"What are you saying?" she whimpered.

"Sharpay—"

"What has she done to you?"

"I fell in love, okay," he blurted out. "I saw her—really saw her—and I fell in love."

Gabriella gasped in shock, then accusingly said, "you screwed her, didn't you? She bounced on you like a horny bunny and suddenly you see stars and everything about her is perfect. Get it right, Troy, it was lust, not love. She's the Ice Queen. She has no feelings—"

"Stop it!" he seethed. "You don't know what you're saying."

"Oh, I know what I'm saying. How can it be that a skanky ho like Sharpay Evans—"

She was cut short by the whipping of his palm against the side of her face. Nursing her stinging cheek in one hand, Gabriella looked up at him in shock.

"You hit me."

"I didn't want to, Gabriella, but you have no fucking idea what you're saying. Do you hear yourself? Huh? Do you? Only a desperate guy with a pole up his ass would want to go out with a girl like you," he said with utter disgust, eyeing her as though she was someone out from the dump.

"You're a bastard, Troy!"

"Save it. I'm through with you."

* * *

**A/N: **And that's chapter 10 for you...hehe…it was tough trying to keep the reality of the story going and not make it sound like a soap opera of some sort. Oh well…

**Dead.Sexy.Zashley.Fan: **Haha…Thank you so much! Creative Writing was more of an elective subject but it was compulsory for everybody. I didn't really pay much attention to it though…hehe…but reading helps a lot. Read anything and everything that is available!

**Noukka: **I know the previous chapter was like 'bleurgh!' but I hope this one's better. I guess this chapter is more straightforward and such. Yeah, the answer to the question about the clinic, it might come soon, not in this chapter, maybe the next though, but no promises, yeah? I'm so sorry to keep you waiting. Hope you enjoyed this bit!

**Stessa: **Hi! It's been so long! Phew! But, yes, I've finally managed to upload this chapter. Thank you so much! I'm glad you like this as much as I love writing them for you and everyone else. It's a little hard at the moment, but I'm really trying to push this story further. I truly want to finish it too, but I don't want to rush through it, yeah? Hope you like this chapter!

**X Estebanita x: **Planting a bomb is really, really tempting. Especially the last bit there where Gabriella bitches about Sharpay. I wanted Troy to smash her head against the wall actually…haha…but then that would mean Troy would have to go to jail, and it wouldn't be fun…but then again…haha…that's an interesting idea! Oh well…anyway, hope you've enjoyed this chapter! They broke up! Yay!

**Jessebabe23: **Hi, girl! Haha…thanks a lot! I'm still trying to get over the imperfections of chapter 9, but anyway…Well, that bit which you didn't understand was more metaphoric and it's probably a bit deeper than anything else in the story. In case you didn't know, it was Ryan's point of view and I wanted that mysterious feel, so I added in details. Also, I thought it would be fun to play around with the words and see what I can make out of them…hehe…hope you liked this chapter!

**AshleyZac4life: **Hehe…it would be scary if Ryan did hit her…yikes! Abuse!

**Memories.Are.Worth.Keeping: **Blush Thank you so much! Haha…It was a really sweet part, wasn't it? Aww…Sharpay's perfect! Hehe...I hope you've enjoyed reading this chapter! Tell me what you think of it, yeah?

**Xamyxjx: **Girl, you've never failed to review! Thank you so much for sticking by this story, no matter how uninteresting the chapter may be. You're my motivation to continue this with every bit of passion in me. Hope you like this bit!

**Hsmxzashley: **Thank you so much! Sorry to keep you waiting for this chapter…hehe…

**Paradise-maker786: **Haha…wow, I really don't know whether I should be offended or flattered! I didn't know you'd be upset that I didn't inform you when I updated…hehe…I'll send you a PM this time round, yeah? Promise.

**XBeautifulbabe405X: **Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked the previous chapters…about that part where I'm a 'sexi sexi beast'…well, I'm not sure if I'm sexy (but I guess maybe at some point I should be…if not my boyfriend wouldn't always want to try and pounce on me like a horny beast :P)…oops! You didn't hear that from me…hope you like this chapter! Tell me what you think, yeah?

**I'm Likeeeeee: **Awww…blush Thank you so much! I try as hard as possible not to rip storylines out, but sometimes I couldn't help it and I'm sure you can tell the parts where I took out from other stories. I'm glad you've liked the story so far! Hope this update works for you! Thank you so much for making this story your favourite!

**Chris tea xx: **Girl!! It's been so, so long! You've always written reviews that had never failed to make me smile and giggle and chuckle like an idiot in front of my laptop. Haha…Sharpay is just being Sharpay. She wants to be a strong girl, and she believes so too. In a way, I guess not letting people in her secrets is her form of handling her problems, so you would already know what kind of a person she is. She doesn't know whether to trust Troy, yet. That's where he comes in and yeah…In this chapter though, as you have read, Ryan's finally loosening up and letting Sharpay open up on her own, although he wishes she would tell him a lot more. Haha…I know it took ages for me to upload this and complete just this chapter alone, but I hope you haven't died due to the lack of oxygen, or did I manage to rescue you in time? Haha..hope you like this chapter!

**Fibi3: **Hehe…Sharpay has her reasons and her secrets that hasn't been uncovered in the story yet. Only she knows, and it'll probably be quite some time till she lets someone in on it! Thank you so much for adding this story under your favourites! It means a lot to me!

**X0emz0x: **Thank you so much! I can't let you know what's wrong with Sharpay, but I'm sure I've dropped hints here and there in the story winks

**Lifeisawesome89: **Hehe…awww, if I told you, then it wouldn't be much of a surprise, would it? Haha…of course as much as I love A Walk to Remember, there will be twists here and there because, yeah, it wouldn't be as interesting if I were to blindly rip the storyline, would it?

The line "An average man thinks about sex at least two hundred and thirty-eight times a day" is taken from the movie **Simply Irresistible**.

Song used — "Used to" by Chris Daughtry


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **Hi guys! I know, I know…again it took me so long to update this story, and I sincerely apologise for that. I'm currently on internship for 2 months, but I have 3 weeks left, before I'm whisked back to school again to complete my final year. So yeah, things have been going a little crazy here, and I've just been dying to update because I had a draft written out at work one day and I was just itching to refine and type them out but I never really got around to doing it.

Well, anyway, here's chapter 11! Enjoy!

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 11**

_What's taking her so long?_

Troy glanced down at his watch for the umpteenth time in the past half an hour since he'd sat there on the floor outside the teacher's lounge. Then, he craned his neck to check on the door but all he could see were shadows. Sighing, he pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his head on them, closing his eyes. He had so desperately wanted to talk to her that as soon as the last bell had rung, he had jumped out of seat and zipped out of the classroom faster than a speeding bullet. Locating her wasn't easy at all. News about him and Gabriella had spread among the students like wildfire—like a plague—and his mates wouldn't leave him alone. They swarmed around him, wanting as much information as they could. Ridiculous rumours were flying everywhere, and they were already reaching his breaking point.

_What's with them and making my private life part of their business?_

Suddenly the door to the teacher's lounge flew open and a certain blonde sauntered out.

"Sharpay!" he called out, automatically jumping to his feet.

Her flawless face instantly turned sour the moment she saw him. Swinging her purse over her shoulders, she gracefully spun on her heels and headed for the other direction.

**She keeps her secrets  
In her eyes  
She wraps the truth  
Inside her lies**

"Sharpay, wait!" His voice echoed through the empty corridor, but she didn't seem to care. She obviously didn't want to talk to him. Sharpay proved to be a really fast walker, but Troy had no problem catching up to her. "Hey, Shar—"

"Fuck off, Bolton!" she snarled, brushing his hand away from her forearm.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Leave me alone, alright?" she yelled, finally stopping in her tracks. "Just freakin' leave me alone."

"Why are _you_ so pissed?"

Sharpay crossed her arms. "You broke up with Gabriella."

"I meant what I said, Shar," he told her, solemnly looking into her amazing chocolate brown eyes. "I said I'd do it, and I did."

She arched an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because I want to prove to you that I do—"

"I don't fucking care!" Sharpay burst out, fuming. "Do you have any idea—any idea—what everybody is saying about me? Huh? Do you?"

"I—er…I—"

"They think that I seduced you into having sex with me, and that now you and Little Miss Brainy there broke up because you got me fucking pregnant! The whole student body thinks we were on a screwing rampage but I was drunk and—"

"Shar—"

"We didn't have sex, damnit!"

**Just when I can't say  
What she's done to me  
She comes to me  
And leads me back to paradise**

"Shar!" Troy grabbed hold of both her arms, cutting her off. "We _did_ have sex, but what's the big deal? Who gives a rat's ass what people think? You've been taking all this bullshit for so long, why does it only bother you now?"

"You don't understand, do you, Troy?" she said, her voice cracking. Sharpay stared into his eyes, and he felt his heart collapse. He had never seen anyone with so much hurt and pain before. She was pleading him, willing him to just listen to her, to comprehend her silent cry of loneliness and sorrow. There was so much vulnerability in this girl—the girl who was once untouchable—that left him speechless.

"Oh, my God," he whispered.

"I've been taking in all this crap for so long, I don't need you to add anything more, Troy."

"I—I'm so sorry, Shar," he said softly, and unknowingly began stroking her soft skin with his thumbs.

"Just go back to Gabriella," she murmured, pulling away from his grasp. "She can give you everything you want, Troy. You don't love me."

"Okay, that's it!" Troy growled, yanking her back to him. "Listen to me. I'm through with Gabriella. She can rot down in hell for all I care. Now you—you listen to me," his already strong grip tightened some more when she wriggled slightly to escape. "You don't tell me how I feel about you. Call me crazy, call me stupid—whatever you want, but I know that the feelings I have of you are real. I _do_ love you, Shar."

"Suck it, Troy," she told him through gritted teeth, the coldness of her glare returning like an ignited flame. "I'm not some bitch who melts in your mouth each time you experiment your flirting skills with."

"Then why do you surrender to my kisses?"

Sharpay paused, before taking a deep breath. "I don't need this from you."

"Stop running away from your fears."

"You know nothing about my fears," she shot back.

"Why are you so scared of falling in love?"

"I'm not scared of anything."

Troy knew she was lying. "I'm sure the Ice Queen believes in fairy tale romances and happily ever after."

"Let me go, Troy, now!" she barked, her facial expression a mask of pure fury. He obeyed her demand, though the intensity didn't falter in his gaze. "Not everyone's life's a freakin' fairy tale like yours, Bolton. And even if I were to fall in love, it would _never_ be with you."

"Shar—"

She shook her head, not wanting to hear anymore, then whipped her head around and stomped down the hallway, her blonde hair flying with each step she took, the clacking of her shoes slowly fading till she disappeared round the corner.

"Damnit!" Troy cried out in frustration.

_She's just impossible!_

How was it that even when she makes him want to punch walls and crack rocks, it took one simple delicate touch from Sharpay Evans to make his senses go weak? How was it that even when he was supposed to hate her guts, Troy was falling for her deeper than he had for any other girl? She was undeniably the most hot-tempered person he knew, but somehow that just made her even more beautiful. He couldn't get enough of her.

**She's so hard to hold  
But I can't let go**

He wanted her.

And he was going to get her.

* * *

_How dare he!_ Sharpay thought to herself as she forcefully shoved the door open, making her way down the stairs towards the parking lot. Her face was red with pent-up anger and so badly she wanted to rip Troy's head off and grind it to dust. 

_That smart ass thinks he knows everything. News flash, Bolton, that's your ex-girlfriend's job!_

She automatically unlocked her convertible and got into the car with a huff, almost tearing the door apart when she opened it. _Son of a bitch!_

Still flaring, she jammed the key into the ignition, put the car into gear and nailed the accelerator. It produced an ear-piercing screech before jerking forward to a halt. She jolted on impact, bracing herself for the worst, but it was the seatbelt that pulled her back to safety. Sharpay sat there for a stunned moment, unaware that her engine was hissing and emitting smoke till the horrid smell reached her nose.

"Oh, shit!" she gasped. Upon realizing that it wasn't anything serious, Sharpay slammed her palms against the steering wheel and spat a curse, "damnit!" She got out of the driver's seat to check on the damage, but knew she couldn't do anything much with all that smoke. There was only one thing to do—and she hated to admit it, but she was desperate. "Urgh!" she growled, giving in to her conscience. She reached over to grab her cellphone, dialing the first number she could think of.

_I'll never hear the end of this_, she thought as she listened to the droning ringing at the other end of the line. 

"C'mon, c'mon…pick up the fucking phone!"

"Hi, this is Ryan speaking—"

"Ryan!"

"Sorry, I'm not here right now. Leave a message and I'll get back—"

Sharpay didn't even wait for the recording to finish before she hit the disconnect button. "Fuck you, Ryan!" she hollered up to the sky, her frustration bubbling up to boiling point, and she wondered if her day could get any worse. She was just about ready to hurl her phone on the tarred road when a voice sent a chill running up her spine.

"Looks like your ride bailed on you."

It didn't take a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon to guess who was standing a few feet away, and Troy Bolton—in all his honour and glory—had his bag hoisted on one shoulder and a basketball tucked under the other arm as though it was meant to be there since the day he was born. Sharpay shifted her weight on her right leg and planted her hands on her hips.

"Why are you still here?" she asked rhetorically in an uninterested scowl.

The team captain simply just shrugged his shoulders and took a quick scan of the parking lot. Then, tilting his head in an undeniably adorable manner, he sweetly offered, "you need a ride?"

Sharpay stood there for a moment, unable to believe that a guy like him still existed in this world. About ten minutes ago, she had been yelling at him to get his nose clear of her personal affairs, and she had been nothing but foul and extremely rude, so why is it that even with such a simple gesture, he was able to make her feel guilty? His parents obviously raised him well, and she probably should accept his token of peace, but Sharpay knew she didn't deserve his kindness.

"You know, Troy, I—"

She was interrupted by the irritating jingle of her phone, indicating that Carmen was calling from the orphanage.

_Oh, screw it_, she thought, and without a second to spare, she grabbed her leather backpack from the back seat of her convertible and went up to him.

"So, you giving me a ride or not?"

Troy blinked, momentarily stunned. Sighing impatiently, Sharpay snatched the bunch of keys from his hand and made her way to his red Saab. She didn't have all day for his crawling brainwaves to finish traveling.

"What are you doing?" he said, finally snapping out of his thoughts.

She didn't answer him till she got into the driver's seat. "I'm driving," she announced, closing the door.

"But that's my car!" he protested, half in hysterics but not making a move to violently object as he stayed rooted to his spot.

"Shut up, Troy," she said icily as she strapped the seatbelt. "I'm already freakin' late because of you—you loser—so I get to do whatever I want to your sad excuse for a car whether you like it or not." Sticking the key into the ignition, she added, "now, do you want to get in or not?"

He was taking a tad bit too long to decide, so she took his silence for consent and put the car into gear. Sharpay released the emergency brake handle and was about to stomp on the gas pedal when Troy woke up from his reverie and hopped into the passenger's seat. 

"Where are we going?" he asked nervously, securing his seatbelt as she drove off.

"Didn't I ask you to shut up?"

"Shar, I—"

"Shut the fuck up!"

Troy's eyebrows sprung up, taken aback by her outburst. "Sorry," he muttered, holding up both his hands in apology.

"Thank you," she said sarcastically and breathed out an exasperated sigh, adjusting herself to a more comfortable sitting position. Her shoulders relaxed a little, and she took a quick glimpse over at the person beside her, who had gone eerily solemn all of a sudden.

Troy sat stiffly just staring fixedly straight ahead, a tensed look on his handsome face. His lips were set in a thin line, his forehead slightly furrowed as though he was concentrating hard on something. Sharpay had never seen him so sedate in all her time she'd known him—not even when she had him riled up so many times before, and before she knew it, she felt a sense of regret that she didn't intend to feel.

_Damn you, Bolton!_

The ride was quiet and not once did he utter a word or make a single noise. Sharpay had to constantly glance over to check if he was still glued to the seat and not jump out of the vehicle. It was making her slightly uncomfortable. His calmness was disturbing. Troy didn't even bat an eyelash when she turned into the carpark and pulled into an empty lot. She switched off the engine and leaned back.

They sat there for a minute, the silence engulfing them for what seemed like an eternity. It was the first time so far that they'd been in close proximity and both were at loss for words. The awkwardness of the situation was making her feel constricted, but she was too stubborn to give in despite the fact that she knew she was mostly responsible. Sharpay watched him discreetly from the corner of her eyes until at last she couldn't take it anymore.

"Look, Troy…I—I didn't mean to bite your head off earlier. It's just—"

"I know," he said in all his placidity. He turned his head to face her, a small but sincere smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "It's okay, Sharpay. I'm sorry for being such an irritating pest for the last few days."

It was her turn to smile—a rarely genuine one. "Thank you, though."

"For what?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. For trusting me enough to drive your car."

"You mean, my 'sorry excuse for a car'?" he teased.

Sharpay turned a slight shade of red and playfully whacked his arm. "Get lost," she shot back above a giggle.

"What?" Troy asked, chuckling. "Besides, I didn't have much of choice, did I? It was either jump in with you or receive a notice tomorrow morning saying my car's been found in the river."

"Oh, you are so asking for it!" she told him in a mock-warning tone.

"You can be very intimidating sometimes."

Sharpay arched an eyebrow. "I am not."

"You know if you keep telling yourself that, it might actually come true."

"Whatever, Bolton."

Troy flashed her a charming grin before taking in his surroundings. "So, Shar, why are we at Wal-Mart?"

"Grocery shopping," she simply told him before getting out of the car with Troy following suit.

"What?" he said and scrunched his face in confusion. He stood there for a moment, digesting the information. "You dragged me all the way down here just to go grocery shopping? That's the emergency?"

"Hey, it wasn't my decision that you came along," she smirked and closed the door.

"Don't you have housekeepers who'd do this for you or something?" he questioned as they headed for the entrance.

Sharpay chose to ignore his comment. She stepped into the supermarket and was greeted by a cool burst of air brushing past her face. Grabbing a shopping cart, she made her way down the aisle till she found the right section. She scanned through the shelves; going for the one she knew would be a favourite. Without any further thinking, she dropped five boxes of cookies into the cart.

"I didn't know you like Oreos."

She whirled around, forgetting that Troy was behind her. He was looking at her with a glimmer of amusement in his ocean-blue eyes. Glaring at him, she said flatly, "they're not for me."

"Ryan?"

"Are you kidding me? We outgrew twist, lick and dunk three years ago."

"Well, then—"

Sharpay rolled her eyes and rested her arms on the handle of the cart. "You've stalked me for two days or so, Troy. What have I been doing? Who do _you_ think these are for?"

"Erm…er…"

Patience wasn't Sharpay's best attribute. "These are for the kids in the orphanage," she explained to him, trying to sound as enduring as possible.

"Why?"

"Just because," she replied, and with that, she gave him a soft grin and continued with what he had interrupted.

A couple of minutes later, Sharpay sensed someone behind her and turned to find Troy, armed with his own cart, stocking up on some breakfast cereal.

"What are _you_ doing?" she wanted to know, planting her hands on her hips.

He just shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, holding up two boxes of cereal. "Do you think they'd like Cocoa Puffs or Fruit Loops?"

* * *

"Okay, that would be fifty-six dollars and eighty-three cents," the brown-haired cashier told them with a warm smile.

Troy started to pull his wallet out but Sharpay beat him to it and handed the brunette her credit card. He tilted his head to one side, watching as she gracefully signed her name on the touch pad.

"I should've paid for that," he said.

"It's fine, I've got it. Besides, half of that was mine."

"Still—"

"Troy," she cut in with an assuring wave of her hand. "It's fine, I've got it."

"Would you like your receipt with you or in the bag?" asked the cashier as she returned Sharpay her credit card.

"In the bag, please," Sharpay requested with a polite smile, and Troy just had to grin at how infectious it was. He began dumping the item-filled plastic bags into the shopping cart, thinking that she ought to smile more often. She looked absolutely gorgeous just by doing it, and she probably didn't even know that. In front of everybody in school, she wore her trademark smirk with pride. It was sexy, and it was alluring. It made his senses go wild and his hard member throb. However, when she smiled with so much sincerity and honesty, it made her so pure and innocent, it was hard to imagine her ever being mean to anybody.

**She dance away just like a child  
She drives me crazy  
Drives me wild  
But I'm helpless when she smiles**

"Here you go. Have a nice day," the girl at the cash-out said chirpily. 

Sharpay thanked the girl behind the counter, and Troy found himself admiring her, probably looking like an idiot, as she grabbed the remaining bags, unintentionally causing a stir in his groin area when she carelessly tugged a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear. He wasn't actually aware that he was staring at the beauty in front of him until she glanced up with confusion evident in her clear hazel-brown eyes.

"What are you doing, Bolton? Get moving already," she snapped.

"Oh, sorry," he blushed, pulling out of his reverie.

Sharpay shook her head, her blond hair swishing with each move. "What's the matter with you?" she demanded, and then shot him a look before pushing her shopping cart out the exit.

Troy rubbed the nape of his neck, suddenly realizing the hike in temperature. Making his way out of the supermarket, he found that Sharpay was already unloading the food into the backseat, and Troy couldn't help it if his eyes only seemed to land on her flawless figure. His brain signals must've been mixed up because his legs weren't cooperating with his head. His mind told him to walk normally at an even pace but his hormones ordered his legs to take a lawful stroll—giving him more time to admire her pulchritude. Eventually though, he reached his destination.

"Listen," she began, putting away her last bag. "You don't have to follow me to the orphanage if you don't want to. I know it's not exactly an ideal part of the neighbourhood. I'll bring your car back to your place and have Ryan pick me up from there."

Troy didn't even flinch when he said, "I want to go—with you, I mean."

Sharpay looked skeptical. "Troy, you really don't have to."

"I'm not leaving my car alone with you. Who knows what might happen later on." He had intended for it to be a joke, though, but somehow she took it the wrong way.

"What, you don't trust me with your car?" she lashed out, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Wait, that wasn't what I meant," he blurted out.

"Then what _did_ you mean by that?"

"I was just kidding! Look, I don't care what happens to my car, okay. I just want to make sure you're safe," he said to her sincerely. It seemed to work though, because she paused for a moment, thinking about it.

"What is it that you want from me, Bolton?"

Her question caught him by surprise. It wasn't what he was expecting, but at least she wasn't shouting at him. "I just want a chance, Shar—just one—to prove to you that I care about you more than you think. I want to be a part of your life."

**Maybe I'd fight it if I could  
It hurts so bad  
But feels so good**

Troy could see her tongue rolling around in her mouth as she pondered on what to say to him. "What's so special about my life, anyway? What is it about my life that you're so interested in, huh? Why do you even bother?"

"Just because."

That answer left her speechless, and he could tell she was trying hard to reach for a witty comeback, but she just wasn't getting any. Her lips curled up in a smile of disbelief, and Troy knew he had her there. He didn't blame her though, if she didn't trust him. For all she knew, he might jolly well blab on her to the entire school, and have her story published in websites and newsletters, but what would his motive be?

**She opens up just like  
A rose to me  
When she's close to me  
Anything she'd ask me to  
I would**

"Can I trust you?"

Troy's face instantly lit up. "More than anything else," he promised.

"Fine, then. Get in."

"Er…can I drive?"

Sharpay gave him a lopsided grin. "It's your car, Bolton," she said and tossed the bunch of keys over to him.

He caught it perfectly in the air and got into the driver's seat, feeling relatively excited but not exactly sure why. Maybe he had a twinge that this was going to be a turning point for the both of them, and that it was going to be the start of an amazing journey. He didn't know what to expect or whether he was ready to face whatever challenges that was in store for them, but he was certain that it was all going to be worth it.

There was a form of conviction in his heart that was going to lead the way. However, he didn't know where that came from.

Maybe it was lust.

Maybe it was curiosity.

Maybe it was love.

Or maybe, it was the way she looked at him.

**When she looks at me  
I get so weak **

* * *

**A/N: **This chapter is quite bittersweet, and it was a challenge just trying to make the shift in Sharpay's character, and how she's letting Troy in her life. I want to make people question that, and try to figure out what it is about Troy Bolton that's able to make her open up to him. Did something else happen? I don't want to spoil you guys by adding in details and explaining everything that's going through in their heads. Tell me what you think, yeah?

**Noukka: **Hi! Thank you so much for sticking by me and still reading my story. I love you too! I know, you sometimes wanna kill me for being so slow at updating, but I try to finish the chapter up as much as possible whenever I sit down and start writing bits of it. I hope you liked this update!

**Xamyxjx: **Hehe…yup, my motivation…and still is!

**Stessa: **Thank you so much for reviewing! I know I said I want to take it slow with the story so that it's the best quality possible, but sometimes I just want to be left in some deserted island and finish up on the chapters as soon as possible. It sucks that I know this chapter's calling out to me, begging me to complete it, and I can't do it because I'm too busy with something else. Thank you so much about the comment about Gabriella's POV! Well, I was thinking that it would be boring to switch between Troy and Sharpay's POV, so I added in Gabriella, and it was fun messing around with her head anyway…haha…And thank you so much for being so patient and all…you're such a sweetheart! It's people like you who makes it such a wonderful thing to keep on writing!

**Hendrick248848: **Thanks a lot! Hope you like this bit!

**PshYeah-x: **Finally, the break-up, ain't it? Been waiting so long to do that, and it's just so satisfying! Hehe…thanks for reviewing—even if it's a short one! Art homework, eh? Art's been one of my favourite subjects because it didn't involve calculations…:D Hope you like this chapter!

**Clotisy: **Haha…yeah, Sharpay's stubborn, isn't she? But I guess circumstances made her who she is, and she's finally opening up to Troy, so that's a good start, yeah? I'm actually thinking of locking them up somewhere, you know…we'll see how it goes…hehe…I might just add that in somewhere…Thank you so much for the review and the comments! Hope you enjoyed reading this update!

**Eclaiirex: **Hi girl! Do I still need to PM you whenever I update? I'm not sure, but I'll still drop you one, anyway, in case you come charging at me with a kitchen knife because I didn't. Thank you so much for actually reading my story even though it's moving like a sloth! I know, my fault…Thanks for the compliment about my writing. Seriously, being a writer, I couldn't tell at all. Most of the time, I'm thinking…'heck, this is such a boring line' and I usually give myself a hard time about creating some sort of variety in writing my sentences and putting the story together. I know, I know…about losing the readers…it's my fault too, but I try as much as possible to give the best update that I could. I guess you could say, my penance for the lack of punctuality. In a twisted way, I find Troy sexually harassing Sharpay quite amusing…haha…Anyway, hope you like reading this update! Good luck with the homework! Love you too!

**TheDude47: **Thank you so much! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Breakin'Dishes: **Yeah, it's been like, ages, hasn't it? I'm really sorry for the wait! Thank you so much for reviewing! It's been a blast writing for you guys! Not much Troypay hotness in this chapter, though, but I hope you still like it!

**Misshannah.x: **Hi sweetie! I'm glad I've managed to put a smile on your face and get some laughter out of you with my attempt at humour…haha…Oh well, Troy did give her a nice slap, didn't he? Shall I replay that in my future chapters just for the kicks? Yup, I got your PM thing…haha…don't worry, people change their names all the time, and sometimes I just kept wondering who it is exactly that I'm replying to, but no biggie! I'm glad I saved you in time, because just so you know, I don't know anything about CPR, honest to God I'm hopeless at medical things. All I can do is wash up a scratch and put on a plaster. Hahaha…I would never let my story die, and you have my word for it, I promise! Hope you like this update!

**Yayyness: **Thanks for the review and the comment! I'll try to update faster, since now I have my ball rolling a little, I might work on it more often…

Song used – "Helpless When She Smiles" by Backstreet Boys


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **Surprise, surprise! An update! I'm so proud of myself for getting this one done in such a short period of time! I was drafting this chapter down and I realized I just have to complete it before I lose the momentum. I guess by far, this is one of my favourite chapters I've written. On top of all that, this update is longer than my usual submission too…haha…

Anyway, enough of my rambling…  
Enjoy!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 12**

"Yeah, sure, no problem. That would be fine, thanks," Sharpay spoke pleasantly into her cell phone. There was a short pause as she listened to the person on the other end of the line. Troy, who was on the wheel, took his eyes off the road now and then to glance over at her for directions, and she would point out which way to go, mouthing out certain words as they went.

"Sure, okay then, thank you! You too," she said, and then disconnected the call before slipping the phone into her backpack. "Oh, make a left turn here."

"Well, what'd he say?" Troy asked as he followed her instruction.

"My mechanic said he'll get my car towed tonight," she answered, digging through the pockets of her bag like an archaeologist for something, finally pulling out a pink hair band and began gathering her silky blonde tresses into a ponytail. "It'll probably be ready by tomorrow afternoon. He'll—"

"Don't!"

**You don't run with the crowd  
You go your own way**

Sharpay froze at his sudden outburst, one hand poised with the rubber band stretched over her thumb and index finger while the other holding her hair up, ready to be tied. She was darting her wide hazel eyes left and right, wondering what it was that she had done wrong, and Troy almost burst out laughing at just how adorable she looked—her savoir vivre flushed away, replaced by the innocence of a five-year-old that was so pure and unadulterated. He almost wished he had a camera right at that moment to catch a candid shot of her, but knew she wouldn't be pleased. Sharpay was slowly opening up and learning to trust him, and he'd rather not jeopardize that.

"What?" she shrieked, half in frantic.

"Don't tie it up," he told her.

Her well-sculpted eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Excuse me?"

Troy shrugged his shoulders in that same casual manner. "Don't tie it up," he repeated, this time facing her with a teasing yet winsome gleam in his gorgeous cerulean blue eyes. The smile that played upon his lips was warm and affectionate, and he just hoped that she could see just how beautiful she was to him, or how breathless she made him feel every time she was around. "I like it better with your hair down," he murmured.

Sharpay blinked and looked away, letting her hands drop to her lap. He could tell she was struggling to get the words out of her mouth. "Just keep your eyes on the road, Bolton," she said, trying to sound as intimidating as possible, but only to find her voice sounding husky and weak.

**Got your own kind of style  
That sets you apart  
Baby, that's why you captured my heart**

Troy chuckled softly to himself, focusing his attention back to the wheel. He really enjoyed knowing this side of Sharpay—a side that he never knew existed—and he didn't mind admitting to himself that he really loved her company. She wasn't as self-centered as she was in school and in front of the student body. Gabriella, on the other hand, was constantly talking about how she had scored perfect marks on a test, or how she was offered scholarships into several top schools in the country. She was brilliant in academics, no doubt, but she was incredibly stuck-up about it—more so after she had gotten the lead in the previous musicale. However, Sharpay—despite all her outstanding achievements in theatre—was still humble about it, and was even helping the children out in the orphanage. He was intrigued in her, and there were so many things that he still wanted to know, regarding her interests and her past.

_There has to be a reason for her to be such an Ice Bitch in school_, he figured and snuck a sideways glimpse over at Sharpay. She was fiddling with her fingers, staring out at the window. He didn't know if she was nervous or embarrassed or anything, but then again, she had never appeared to be insecure before—even during the auditions. She was usually sure and in control.

**I know sometimes you feel like you don't fit in  
And this world doesn't know what you have within**

"Shar, can I ask you a question?"

Without moving her head, she replied, "you just did."

"Oh, no, I mean—"

"Go ahead, Troy," she cut in, saving him from any further ranting.

He cocked his head to one side. "Why'd you volunteer in the orphanage?"

Sharpay didn't answer him straight away, nor did she turn to look at him. She took her time thinking, and he wasn't going to pressure her or anything. They had been doing fine during the shopping trip in the supermarket, having civil conversations and sharing smiles and some laughter.

_Shit, did I come on too strong?_ he wondered, worried that she might end up pushing him away again. _Damnit, Troy, you're so stupid!_

"Er…listen, Shar, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to," he said in a rush, his words just came tumbling out. "I'm not going to pressure you or anything. I didn't mean to—"

"Pull over, Troy."

_Did she just ask me to pull over?_

"What?" he asked, making sure he hadn't heard the wrong thing.

Sharpay sighed and angled her head to face him. Her expression was hard and impassive, but Troy could tell she was dead serious. "Pull over."

They weren't anywhere near the orphanage, but wordlessly he did as he was told. As soon as he stopped the engine, silence loomed over them like a huge blanket. Troy was expecting her to get out of the car and slam the door in his face, but she stayed put seemingly engrossed with the material of her blue camisole. After a while, Troy realized that he had been staring at her, and quickly looked away.

**When I look at you, I see something rare  
A rose that can grow anywhere  
And there's no one I know that can compare**

_Is she mad?_

"Can I trust you with something, Troy?" she whispered, breaking the fragility in the car.

"Of course you can, Shar," he said truthfully.

"You can't tell anybody."

He gave her a reassuring smile. "I promise."

Then she took a deep breath, composing herself for what she was about to reveal to him. "Do you know why I was really upset when you told me that we slept together?"

He shook his head. "It was probably the most foolish thing that you've done?" he guessed.

"No," she said, their gazes locked, and Troy could see so many mixed emotions enclosed in the chocolate pools of her eyes. He saw the disappointment and the sadness—the slight anger and a hint of regret. He felt her pain and the anguish of a tormented child. "It reminded me of my mother."

"I—I don't get it."

"Ryan and I were a mistake—a drunken mistake that my biological mum had one night at a party," she began, her voice cracking. "I've never had the great life that everybody thinks. I've always hated it when I was younger. As much as possible, I try to avoid talking about my past because it doesn't make me feel better. It tears me up inside. Ryan and I, we were found abandoned in an alley when we were barely three weeks old. An old lady found us in the dumpster while she was scavenging for food. We could've died for all we knew if it wasn't for Ryan's cry."

The corners of her lips barely twitched up in a wistful smile. "He has always been my protector—and he still is. The old lady, already living on scraps of food and a cardboard box, took us in. She would usually starve for us, having to beg people for money just so she could afford some milk for Ryan and I. We were about four months when she fell seriously ill. She knew that she'd never be able to take care of us for long—her age was catching up to her—but she loved us so much. One day, she just grew really sick and she realized she couldn't do it anymore. She was so weak and struggling so much, she literally had to crawl to the hospital. She—she only got to the doorstep and then—then she…she died, right there."

Troy's breath hitched in his throat and he felt his heart squeeze just picturing the life in his mind. A tear slid down from the corner of her eye and without hesitating, he reached over and wiped it away with his thumb as more began watering her vision, her breathing slightly ragged. Tenderly, he placed his hands over her cold, delicate ones.

**Hey, yeah yeah yeah  
You got something so real**

"Shar…"

**You touched me so deep  
See material things  
Don't matter to me**

"One of the nurses heard us crying and took us straight to the intensive care unit. They did some background check on us and who our parents were, and it turned out our mum was only 16 and our dad was some senior high school drop-out from out of town who came over to party for the weekend. They got the cops in for investigation and she was sent to rehab. When we were in the hospital, there was one nurse that grew really fond of Ryan and I. Her name was Alice Carter. She had been married for five years and found out that she couldn't consume a child. But she loved us—both of us—so much. She'd come in to work an hour early and stay up late at night just to spend time with us. She wanted to adopt the both of us as her own child, but her husband objected to it," she went on, adding bitterness to the last few words. Sharpay's expression changed into something scornful and there was a manageable smirk on her face.

"Oh?"

"Who could blame him? He was a professor teaching World History at a local university, and we were just two kids being thrown into a bin. But she insisted—and so he finally agreed. They got all the paperwork done and for a while there, we were finally like normal kids. We were in daycare, getting enough food, a proper shelter—a normal family. And then he had an affair with a student and Alice was just so devastated. She wanted a divorce. Her ex-husband, Herald, got the house and she got custody of us. Being a nurse, she didn't earn much, and all she could afford was a rented apartment. She had to sell her car just to pay for our preschool, walking a few miles each day just to go to work." She stopped and gently shook her head, giggling. "Everyday, she'd pull us in a little wagon and Ryan and I would pretend we're in a ship or a train or something."

Troy managed a smile for her, knowing it wasn't the end of her story.

"Then, when we were six, she fell in love with one of her patients—my dad, David Evans—and she had been treating him since he got into an accident and needed therapy. They got married a couple of months later, and we were the most perfect family. David loves us as though we were his own children, but he keeps going away for business so much. A few years later, when we were twelve, my dad decided that his business had to expand, and he wanted my mum to help him out with it. He doesn't trust other people so much. So, my mum quit her job as a nurse and began tagging along on business trips with my dad. Although we're earning a lot of money and living the life of a celebrity, Ryan and I have never forgotten where we came from, and that's why we never complain about them not being home. My parents have done so much for the both of us, it wouldn't be fair to them," she explained.

"Oh…" was all Troy could come up with.

"I told Ryan, and I promised him I wouldn't end up like Vanessa."

"Who?"

"My biological mother," Sharpay explained.

**So come as you are  
You've got nothing to prove  
You won me with all that you do**

Now, it all made sense—how she had been trying so hard to deny the fact of what happened the night of the party. She didn't want what had happened to her as a baby to repeat itself. She had her biological mother's flesh and blood, but more than anything, she didn't want to be exactly like the woman she never knew but hated with passion. Troy instantly felt a pang of regret for breaking the news to her the way he did.

_But if I had known, I wouldn't have..._

**You don't know how you touched my life  
Oh in so many ways I just can't describe**

"When you told me that we had sex, Troy, I thought I was seriously becoming like her, and I hated that so much."

"Shoots, Sharpay, I'm so sorry. I didn't—"

"Know," she finished for him. "I just—I don't want to remember it, okay?"

"You're nothing like her, Shar."

"I don't want to talk about it," she said curtly.

"Sure," he nodded, understanding her point of view. But something was still left unanswered, and he was deciding whether he should ask her about it. He didn't want to upset her, but then again since she was in a confessing mode, it might be the best time to do so. "Er …so why do you help out in the orphanage?"

Her smile was soft and kind, and he knew right away that the children meant a lot to her. "Because I was once an orphan too—a child without the love of a mum or a dad—and I've felt what they're feeling, and no child deserves so much pain and sorrow in their lives."

And as Troy gazed into the depths of her brown eyes, he began to realize just how hard he's falling for her. He was tempted to just lean forward and kiss her senseless, and enclose her in his arms. Sharpay was simply the most perfect creature he'd ever met.

**You taught me what love is supposed to be  
You saw the little things that make you beautiful to me**

_God, I love her so much!_

She was the first to break the eye contact, as though she knew he was reading more about her than she had intended for him to, but Troy respected her privacy and he was going to let her open up to him as she wished. He didn't want to pry; for fear that she might get suspicious of his questions and push him away again. There was so much that he wanted to know, and he was sure that whatever secrets that Sharpay was still keeping from him, it was going to blow his mind away. And for that, Troy was willing to wait.

**What makes you different, makes you beautiful  
What's there inside you, shines through to me  
In your eyes I see, all the love I'll ever need  
You're all I need, oh girl  
What makes you different, makes you beautiful to me**

Turning the key in the ignition, he got the engine running and continued with the drive.

* * *

"You're going to love Josh," Sharpay burbled happily as she and Troy unloaded the groceries from the backseat. "He's just four, but he absolutely _loves_ basketball. He'd sometimes beg me to take him to one of our games."

"_Our_ Wildcats games?" Troy asked, his eyes shining wide with interest.

Sharpay bobbed her head up and down, closing the door with a bump of her hip. "He's a big fan of our captain too," she told him with a playful smirk. "Whoever he is."

"Wow, I'm really honoured," he said, beaming. After locking the car for safety precautions, Troy followed Sharpay up the flight of stairs that led up to the door and into the orphanage. The moment he stepped in, the faint voices of little kids playing filled the empty lobby. He was still a little unfamiliar with the cool air that seemed trapped down there, thus making the place seem a tiny bit eerie even though he'd been to the orphanage before.

"He'll be bouncing off the walls when he sees you," she joked, leading the way up to the second floor. The floorboards creaked under their weight, and Troy winced slightly at how annoying his sneakers were squeaking.

"Really?"

Sharpay glanced over her shoulders and caught his pained look. Giggling, she shook her head. "No, not really," she answered. "But close to that."

Troy heaved a sigh of relief. It wasn't that he didn't like children, but being the only child in the family, he had never known how to deal with little dickens. Sure, he had cousins that came to visit now and then, but he'd always station himself on the couch, watch some television and ignore their endless whining about irrelevant things. Sharpay simply gave him a weird look.

"You don't like kids?"

"No!" Troy blurted out, shaking his head. "No—not that." Then, upon seeing the confused expression on her face, he decided that he might as well just admit it. After all, Sharpay had shared with him one of her deep secrets. Ashamedly he said, "I get nervous around them, like I don't know what to do, you know."

She shot him a sympathetic yet understand smile before reassuring him. "Don't worry about it. You'll do fine."

They reached the familiar corridor, but instead of going straight to the main room where the children obviously were, Sharpay brought him over the back to what looked like a dining room cum kitchen set-up. It wasn't entirely big or well furnished. In fact, just like everything else in the orphanage, the room was imperfect and in clover. The cracks were visible on the wall from where the pale yellow paint had peeled away, probably after much scrubbing and scraping trying to get vandalism marks off, although some remained stubborn enough. There was a small stove and an oven perpendicular to the sink that was placed under a small window overlooking nothing but a brick wall and a dark green dumpster overflowing with rubbish. The old dishwasher beside it had a dent in the middle and Troy doubted if it was functional. Screwed to the walls were cabinets made of dark wood and the varnish, through the years, had worn off and acquired scratches here and there. A big rectangular table was set in the middle of the checkered linoleum floor with toddler-sized chairs all around tucked neatly underneath.

Sharpay crossed the room and placed the plastic bags on the countertop next to the stove and turned to Troy.

"You can put the stuff down here and I'll put them away afterwards. I just need to go tell Carmen that I'm here, and I'll be right back," she told him and was gone before he can say anything.

Troy shrugged and walked over and plunked the bags down next to Sharpay's. Then, leaning against the counter, he slowly studied the place, noticing the incredibly dusty ceiling fan. He hadn't noticed it before but there was a refrigerator over at the corner of the kitchen with what looked like a duty roster stuck on the door, held up by tons of colourful magnets. As Troy got closer to read what it was, he chuckled at how the unfortunate appliance had been a canvas for someone's neophyte graffiti. On the roster were names neatly written in the columns specifying a chore—dishes, table set-up, breakfast, lunch, dinner, clean-up—and there were star-shaped stickers next to the group leaders or person-in-charge.

His eyes traveled downwards, bending forward to take a better look at the drawing. It wasn't exactly an art piece worthy of a spot in a museum, but nonetheless it had its own beauty and magnificence. Two girls with similar yellow hair—only one was shorter, and the other one was somehow flying. Troy tilted his head, and it was then that he realized the other figure was an angel with wings. Angling his head the other way, he saw the name 'Lily' written beneath one figure and 'Sharpay' above the other.

"Wow," he breathed, reaching a finger out to trace the picture, as though he could somehow feel Sharpay's silky skin just by doing that.

_These children really do love her_, he thought.

"Well, so I thought I'd drop by."

Troy whipped his head around, hearing Sharpay's voice as she entered the room with the woman he remembered speaking to the other day, who he assumed now had to be Carmen. The copper-haired adult immediately recognized him and her eyebrows sprung up in surprise. Troy pursed his lips together and prayed hard that she wouldn't mention anything about his visit to the orphanage the other day. It would be terribly embarrassing on his end if Sharpay knew the extent of his stalk-ish behavior. Carmen didn't seem to get the hint, though.

"And I see you've brought company," she said.

"Oh, yeah. Carmen, this is Troy Bolton," Sharpay introduced. "We go to the same school. And Troy, this is Carmen Zashley. She runs the orphanage."

Troy cleared his throat nervously. "H—Hi," he muttered, extending his hand out for Carmen to shake.

She had a coy and knowing glint in her green eyes. "Pleased to meet you again, Troy."

"Wait," Sharpay cut in, looking back and forth between the both of them. "You two have met before?"

Troy glanced at Carmen, pleading him for help. She must've figured some things out because instead of backing him up, she was silently daring him to tell Sharpay the truth, and there was no way to run. He was trapped.

"Er…yeah, kind of," he mumbled, feeling his face heating up.

"He was driving by the other day," Carmen said in a teasing manner.

Sharpay narrowed her hazel eyes and folded her arms across her chest. "Driving by, huh?"

"Well—I—You—I—"

"I know, Troy," she said in mock anger, rolling her eyeballs. "Don't ever make stalking your career choice. You're terrible at it."

Troy groaned, his cheeks turning an even brighter shade of red. "That's not funny."

"Well, Shar," Carmen began, her tone becoming serious. "There's something that I need to talk to you about."

"Oh." Sharpay got worried all of a sudden, but then she nodded her head. "Alright, I just need Troy to meet somebody and then we can talk in your office, is that okay?"

"Sure, no problem," Carmen said. She turned to Troy, giving him one last comforting smile and an encouraging wink before exiting the kitchen.

_Whoa…what was that about?_

"What was _that_ about?" Sharpay simultaneously wondered out loud.

Troy shrugged, clearly perplexed about what had just happened. "I—I don't know."

Her thoughts only lingered for a second or so before she shrugged, letting it slide. "Oh, well, come on," she gushed, grabbing his hand, causing a jolt of electricity coursing through him, waking up his senses as though they had been asleep for years. "You really have to meet Josh."

She was practically dragging him down the hallway towards the main room, but he didn't care. All he could do was gawk at their physical point of contact where their fingers interlaced, and how easily and perfectly they fitted together. Her hand felt like silk against his calloused one, her skin a contrasting shade of ivory to his tanned complexion. He never wanted to let go. Subconsciously, he tightened his grip, giving her a light squeeze. She didn't seem to notice, though, or if she did she was simply ignoring it.

The sound of children's laughter brought him back to reality. Through the glass window, Troy could see the toddlers running around with toys in tow. There were plastic trucks, cars, aeroplanes, dolls and stuffed animals scattered everywhere.

"There he is," Sharpay said, pointing to the little blonde-haired boy sitting in the middle of a rainbow-coloured rug, his legs spread apart with a simple puzzle in front of him.

Troy squinted his eyes. "That's Josh?"

_He looks familiar_, he thought.

"He's Lily's brother," she explained, and gave his hand a tug. "Come on," she urged.

The moment they stepped into the room, Sharpay was being surrounded by the kids, all vying for her attention. Troy just stood there, already missing the warmth of her touch as she patiently entertained the children, telling them she was in a hurry but made a promise that she'd be back. Upon realizing that Josh wasn't among the throng of tots hoarding Sharpay, he glanced over at the boy, who was still concentrating hard on completing his puzzle.

"He's a really smart boy. Loves his puzzles to bits," Sharpay told him. Flashing Troy a smile, she walked over to Josh and squatted down beside him. "Hey, Josh!"

"Paypay!" he exclaimed happily, a huge toothy smile on his adorable face. He threw his hands out for a hug, which Sharpay granted and picked him up from the ground. His short legs could barely wrap around her waist as he clung on to her, resting his head on her shoulder.

"How are you, sweetie?" she asked tenderly, soothingly rubbing Josh's back.

"I'm fine," he mumbled back.

"Listen, there's someone I'd like you to meet," she whispered into the boy's ear.

"Who?" he whispered back excitedly, lifting his head up to look at her.

Sharpay turned around to face Troy, and instantly Josh's grey-blue wide-set puppy dog eyes twinkled with happiness, as though he had just seen Santa Claus in person. Unsure of what to do, Troy stuck his hands into the pockets of his denim jeans, gnawing on his bottom lip, a little uncomfortable but yet feeling quite honoured. Josh looked back at Sharpay, as though asking for some kind of reassurance that it wasn't just his imagination, and she nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Josh, this is Troy Bolton. Do you know who he is?"

The boy bopped his head. "Wowcats!"

Troy couldn't help but chuckle at his mispronunciation. The kid was really adorable and already they had something in common.

"Troy, this is Josh," Sharpay continued.

"Hi, buddy," he said, pulling a hand out to ruffle the little tyke's shaggy light golden blonde hair. "How're you doing?"

"Good," he replied. "I pwayed basketbaw with Paypay and she's not vewy good."

Troy just had to laugh at that one as Sharpay playfully poked Josh's side, fixing him with a mock disapproving look that didn't stay very long before she broke into a huge grin, illuminating her whole face and making her look ethereal.

"That's not fair," she giggled. "I'm a girl."

"Lily pways basketbaw. She's good," Josh reminded her.

"She is, isn't she?" Sharpay agreed. "Well, I have to go talk to Carmen. Can I leave you with Troy for a bit? Is that fine with you, Troy?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," Troy answered her.

"Twoy!" Josh squealed, thrusting his arms out to the older boy, already eager to start playing. Troy hadn't really carried a toddler before, but ended up surprising himself at how natural it felt when he took the kid from Sharpay.

"Okay, now you be good, alright Josh?" she said with a warning tone.

"Don't worry, Shar. Josh and I are going to have fun, right, buddy?" Troy held his palm up for a high-five.

"Right!"

"In fact, let's go shoot some hoops right now, what do you say?" he suggested, bouncing the boy cautiously in his arms.

"Yeah!" Josh cheered.

"Can I go play too?"

Troy spun around to see a dark curly-haired boy—who reminded him so much of his best friend, Chad—looking up at him with hopeful chestnut-coloured eyes. Troy paused, not knowing how to react. He quickly glanced over his shoulder at Sharpay, who seemed to be having quite a blast watching his discomfort with an amused grin on. Silently, he pleaded her for help, but she just held up both her hands, signaling that she wasn't going to get involved, and left.

_Thanks a lot, Shar._

"Um…sure," he said.

"Yeah, can I play too?" another kid chimed in.

"Me too!"

Before long, everybody wanted to join in, leaving Troy stranded and totally helpless. He made a mental note, reminding himself to get back at Sharpay for that.

"Er…" Troy began. "Okay."

* * *

"I can't believe Josh asked me if we were going to get married," Troy was saying and snickered at how insane it sounded.

Anything he spoke of that went into Sharpay's ears only ended up lost in her brains as she blocked all irrelevant thoughts out of her head and concentrated hard on channeling all her attention to the window beside her, as though trying to burn a hole right through. She barely acknowledged his existence, having not spoken a word since they'd stepped out of the orphanage. The deep frown that sat on her roseate lips almost seemed permanent as she sat stiffly in the passenger seat of Troy's car, her muscles all tensed up.

"Shar?"

Nothing else mattered to her at the moment, but no matter how many avowals she'd made to herself, no matter how much she'd sworn to do whatever it takes in all the power she had, Sharpay couldn't help but feel extremely useless in comparison to the vastness of the situation. Her heart squeezed with choked up emotions just picturing their faces, and she made yet another promise to fight for them till her very last breath.

"Shar, are you okay?"

Troy's snapping fingers jolted her back to the present just as he brought the vehicle to a stop at a traffic light. When she pivoted her head to the left, he was smiling lopsidedly in that irresistible way of his with a questioning yet concerned crease on his forehead, his dark chocolate hair falling over his sapphire eyes. Sharpay involuntarily licked her lips.

"I'm fine," she said breathlessly.

**Your pretty face is not enough,  
Behind your eyes,  
I know you're lying.**

"You haven't said anything for the past fifteen minutes," he pointed out.

"I have a lot on my mind," she murmured, shifting her gaze to the road ahead. "It's turned green."

"You're acting a little…distracted," he noted, taking the right exit into the interstate.

"What do you mean? I'm fine," Sharpay said, getting irritated by his probing. In other circumstances, she would've thought he was being really sweet, but she wasn't in the mood. "Just fine."

"Shar…"

"What?" she snapped, almost hissing with venom.

"Shar, I just want to know what's wrong."

"I said I'm fine, Bolton! Fuck off!"

**You think that love is all a bluff,  
You flash your smile,  
And keep denying me,**

That hit a nerve, silencing him at the same time, but as soon as those words flew out of her mouth, she wished she could take them back. Troy's jaw tightened and Sharpay could feel the chill in the air, his body language making it obvious that he was burned. She cursed herself for the stupidity even though she hadn't meant to blow up on him like that. He was just sincerely being a good person to her, but like an ungrateful bitch, she yelled to his face. What was wrong with her? Troy had proven to be an amazing friend, offering her a ride and accompanying her to the orphanage, and even though she'd thrown shit at him countless times he'd come still come after her.

**I want you to see,  
I need something more,  
Than you gave me for.**

_You deserve to die, Shar_, she thought to herself, smirking inwardly at the irony.

They were back to square one, and there was nothing more that Sharpay hated. The fact that she was in Troy's car didn't help at all. He could choose to just throw her out anytime he wished, and frankly, that sounded quite appealing, but she seriously didn't want to walk home or go through with the embarrassment of explaining to Ryan why she was stuck alone on the interstate. She could lie to her twin brother if she wanted to, but she didn't need to add another one to the growing pile.

She could probably take it if Troy insulted her in all his blind fury, but the one thing she couldn't stand was the cold treatment.

_Damnit!_

"Look, Troy, I—"

"Save it, Sharpay. I don't want to hear it," he cut in, harsh and strained.

Sharpay blinked, taken aback at his unexpected bitterness. She noticed that his knuckles were turning white from gripping the steering wheel so hard, and suddenly she felt the fear streaming through her veins.

"I—I just want to—"

Troy slammed on the breaks, bringing the car to a screeching halt along the road shoulder, and then turned to face her with blazing eyes that could probably melt a ton of iron in three seconds flat.

"Want to what? Apologise? Don't say it if you don't mean it."

"Could you just listen to me for one second?" she demanded, getting agitated.

"I've been listening to you the whole day, Shar. I'm trying to be a good friend and all you keep doing is take out your frustration on me when something's wrong. I'm not your freakin' lapdog, Shar—"

"I never said you were!"

"Then stop treating me like I am," he shot back. "You're one fucked-up princess, you know that, Shar? One moment you're so sweet and kind and compassionate—you're human—and the next you're nothing but a trash-talking brat with ultimate anger issues who just throws a tantrum whenever and wherever she feels like it. Why can't you just make up your fucking mind, choose a decent personality and stick to it?"

Sharpay drew back, stung. Then, she got it, and she'd had enough. When will she ever learn? Nobody was going to understand her no matter how much she'd tried. She should have known this long ago, stayed true to her promise and shut everyone out of her life. How foolish was she to actually believe Troy Bolton was any different from the other people?

"I am who I am, Troy!"

With that, she got out of the car and trudged down the road, feeling the first round of hot tears stinging at the back of her eyes as her throat closed up. Suddenly, she felt her chest burning up, as though someone had placed a hundred-pound concrete slab on top of it. She began wheezing when the difficulty of breathing became unbearable, but she didn't stop walking. Seconds later she was gasping for air and started coughing, wincing at the pain it caused. The tears that she was trying so hard to hold back now poured freely down her cheeks.

Still, Sharpay continued going, ignoring the agony and only caring to get away from Troy Bolton. She didn't get very far before he caught up to her, grabbed hold of her wrist and unceremoniously spun her around. Instinctively, she squeezed her eyes shut and shielded her face with her free arm, bracing herself for whatever was coming next.

Nothing did. Seconds passed but all she could focus on was stabilizing her rapid pulse, covering up her coughs as best as she could.

**I see your heart is broken,  
And your tears are real.  
No word unspoken,  
Say what you feel.**

"Oh, fuck. Shar…"

His voice was hoarse and sounded almost remorseful. There was fear somewhere hidden in the depths of his tone that slowly made Sharpay lift her eyelids, only to find herself staring straight into Troy's cerulean blue eyes, their noses merely inches away. Her first reaction was to pull away, but then he tenderly ran his fingers up the slope of her neck to cup both cheeks in his palms, forcing her to stay.

"I—I'm so sorry," he choked out. "I didn't mean to—"

Gathering all the energy left in her petite frame, Sharpay forcefully shoved him away and took a few steps backwards.

"Don't touch me," she growled.

"Stop this, Shar! Why are you always pushing me away?"

**The way you keep pretending,  
It's such a crime.  
You gotta give me what's mine.**

_He wants the truth? Fine, then, he's going to _get_ the truth!_

"Have you ever been laughed at or called names in school when you were a kid, just because you were found in a dumpster? Have you lived a life where people just wouldn't stop talking about you? Huh? Have you?"

Troy didn't answer her. He didn't need to. He was after all the Golden Boy of the school whom everybody adores without question or doubt—the receiving end of ceaseless praises—and had the picture-perfect family she once could only imagine in her wildest dreams. He's the kind of boy-next-door every guy wanted to hang out with. Girls worshipped the ground he walks on probably since kindergarten. Could there be anything traumatizing about that?

"I am who I am not because I want to, Troy. It's because I have to."

"Shar, I—"

"No!" she backed away some more when he tried to reach out for her. "Don't tell me you know how it feels like because I damn well know you don't. Everything's like a bed of roses to you, doesn't it? The only reason I'm being Super Bitch in school is because I don't want to get hurt. I'm just like any other person, Troy, but over the years I'd gotten used to everybody looking down on me. I'd been numb to these rumours for so long, I just don't see the point of trying to prove everybody wrong anymore."

"So you started proving people right? Is that it?"

Sharpay arched an eyebrow. "Isn't that what they're happy to see? Oh, what do you know, Sharpay Evans really _is_ a boyfriend-stealing slut."

"You're _not_ a boyfriend-stealing slut!" he told her.

"Do you think they care? Everybody jumps to conclusions and they always need someone to blame."

"What about you?"

She smirked. "What _about_ me?"

Troy cautiously took a step closer to her and tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear. She froze at his touch, swallowing the lump that she felt growing in her throat.

"You have this amazing side of you that's so different, that I'm sure people will learn to love and appreciate, and—"

"And have them call me a fake goody-two-shoes who's just out for some attention?" she scowled.

"You'll never know unless you give it a shot, Sharpay," he said with a small smile, and suddenly she was aware that his hands were resting on her shoulders, gently caressing the sides of her neck with his thumbs.

"Who'd believe me anyway?"

"I would!"

Sharpay half-gasped when Troy rested his forehead against hers, sending a delicious shiver down her spine. Closing her eyes, she inhaled in his musky cologne. It was insane how comforting their proximity was, and there was no denying that despite how he kept pushing her buttons—sending her to the edge of the cliff—she'd always surrender to him in the end. This was no exception.

"The orphanage might have to close down," she whispered, barely audible. "Carmen said that the bank loan's long overdue and they don't have enough for the rent."

"What?"

Then, without warning, Sharpay launched herself into his arms—catching Troy off-guard—and sobbed into his shirt. He made soothing sounds, trying to calm her down while lightly stroking her hair with one hand and wrapping her around with the other.

**Give more than you take,  
And smile through it all.**

"We have to do something, Troy," she said, her voice slightly muffled.

"We'll think of something, Shar. I promise."

**And know that everything you do,  
I do it for you.**

* * *

**A/N: **So many people and events had inspired me in this chapter! Firstly, Josh was a job shadow here where I'm interning, and he comes like every Wednesday. I didn't know what to name Lily's brother, and so happened that I saw him, and it just clicked. Josh plays basketball too for his school, and just like I've described in this chapter—except much taller!  
Oh yeah, did anybody noticed I named Sharpay's biological mother Vanessa—as in Hudgens—just for the kicks of it. Haha…it's sort of fun because Sharpay hates her. I was thinking of people I dislike when I was deciding on a name, and she popped up. How appropriate!

**Imuzuok: **Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Well, something happens to Sharpay again in this chapter (if you catch that small paragraph about it). I'm glad you can tell the difference in the feelings Troy had for Sharpay, because I was afraid that I didn't do a good job at that. Phew! Tell me what you think of this update, yeah?

**Stessa: **Awww…thank you so much! I didn't realize I was so dense that I haven't read your stories till recently, and I was hooked! You're a really awesome writer and every story is just magical, seriously! Your collaborations are flawless, I couldn't tell it was done by 2 people! Anyway…I'd love to think she does have a weak spot for Troy (who doesn't?) regardless of the reason why. Maybe Troy jus has that effect on people. Haha…the shopping scene wasn't hot or romantic but it's just very simple without an emotional roller coaster, but in a way, it's difficult to bring such a non-dramatised scene to sound interesting and exciting and not boring. Talk to you soon! Hope you like this chapter!

**Breakin' Dishes: **Hie! Thanks a lot!! Hope this chapter works for you!

**Noukka: **Another one of my favourite reader and writer! Like what I've mentioned to Stessa, your collaboration works and awesome! Thank you so much for sticking by me! Well, for song choices, I guess this chapter was extra difficult to find a song that fits. With that said, I think there are better songs out there that I don't know of that might suit this chapter better. Sometimes I have a lyrics library in my head so that I can sift the right ones out. Anyway…hope you like this update! Love ya too!

**Socialitegirl: **Hi there! Haha…I stopped there because it's the end of the chapter I guess…hehe, but here's the continuation! Hope you like it!

**I'm Likeeeeee: **I had to count how many 'e's were there in your name, and I'm not sure if I counted right…but anyhow…thank you so much for reviewing! Hmm…addictive, eh? I don't recall putting some drugs in this story…(omg, that's so lame!)

**Clotisy: **Thank you so much! Haha…in a way, Sharpay's still stubborn and reserved, but she's opening up as much as possible. And I really like the idea of locking them up in a room…hmm…we'll see how that can be arranged. Haha…there's a dance for that? I should learn it too! Anyway, tell me what you think of this story, or any input of ideas that I might be able to use! Thanks!

**Evane21: **Thank you so much! Hope you like this chapter!

Songs used – "What Makes You Different" by Backstreet Boys and "I Do It For You" by Nick Lachey


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **Here you go! Chapter 13. This chapter, for some reason is really complicated to write. I had some trouble with it, and there were days where I feel like I'm incapable of stringing a sentence together. Oh well, anyways…Enjoy!

xXx  
Ceruleanblues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 13**

Picturesque.

That was the only word able to describe the breath-taking shades of azure that were painted across the big sky as the afternoon sun began to set, enveloping the surroundings with a peaceful and calming warmth. He bathed in the sweet serenity and the whispers of the cool breeze against his cheeks, relishing the heavenly feel. His cerulean blue eyes indulged in the scenic view, and landed on a silhouette of a teenage girl. She captivated him. Tendrils of her hair danced in the wind but she didn't seem to mind.

All at once, Troy Bolton was mesmerized.

He didn't know how long he'd been standing there just staring at her. It wasn't until the nippy surface of the tub he was holding in his hands had seeped into his skin did he jolt back to reality and remembered what he was supposed to do. Quickly ordering his feet to move, Troy went up to where she was and sat down beside her, allowing his legs to dangle aimlessly over the cliff, noticing that there was nothing but crashing waves and sharp rocks beneath them.

"Er…I got you some ice cream," he said quietly, afraid of breaking the tranquility.

Sharpay turned her head to face him, the aurora illuminating her flawless features as she gave him a small gratified smile—one that can barely be seen and yet he knew it was there. "Thanks," she murmured, a hint of worry in her voice.

Troy knew she was still thinking about the orphanage and the kids—especially Lily and Josh. She probably wouldn't forgive herself if anything bad happened to them, but he was determined to cheer her up—even if it was just a little bit. He hated seeing her so distressed and hung up, and he swore at that moment he'd do anything to see that gorgeous smile of hers again. He lifted the lid of the ice cream tub and pulled out two plastic spoons from the pocket at the back of his denim jeans, handing one to her.

"Dig in," he grinned, allowing her the first scoop.

She shoved a spoonful into her mouth and practically squealed. "Ooh…cold!"

Troy swallowed a glob of ice cream and chuckled. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied, nodding. "Good grief, you're feeding me Chocolate Fudge Brownie?"

"I didn't know what you liked," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "It was either this or the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, but I figured everybody likes the fudge brownie."

"They're both my favourite, anyway," Sharpay told him, sticking her spoon into the tub for more. "The only thing that's missing is—"

"Marshmallows?"

Under the dimming light, her shapely eyebrows shot up. "How'd you—"

"Been dipping my marshmallows in ice cream since I was five," he admitted.

"Didn't your mum tell you that it would ruin your appetite?" she asked teasingly.

Troy found himself laughing as he spoke, "all the time, but I was just so rebellious. I'd sit on the kitchen counter doing some schoolwork, and the refrigerator was so tempting. Eventually my sweet tooth would get the better of me, and I'd climb on a chair and sneak a few marshmallows to eat. By the end of the week, my mum would be wondering why we were always out of marshmallows and ice cream."

"I don't believe this," Sharpay said, snickering. "We actually have something in common."

"You'd have ice cream before dinner?"

"Of course, I had my partner in crime with me."

"Ryan!" they declared in unison.

Sharpay burst into small giggles as Troy simply watched at how the whole place seemed to light up around her, loving the way she sounded. He felt the tips of his fingers and toes exploding, knowing that he was the cause of her momentary delight. For a second there, their gazes locked and Troy could see the amusement twinkling in those wonderful pair of hazel eyes, and it was as though his heart had turned to mush. Her laughter subsided and she was now regarding him with curiosity.

"What?" she wondered.

Troy shook his head and grinned. "Nothing."

She didn't say anything else and instead turned her attention back to the ocean. As they sat there and finished up the ice cream, watching the sun dip below the horizon, Troy realized that there was no other place he'd rather be than right there beside the person he loved.

_Heck, I can do this forever_, he thought as the cool breeze fanned his face. He loved just being in the presence of her, no matter what they were doing. They could be arguing and yelling at each other, and he'd still think that there couldn't be a better place to do it. Every detail was perfect with her.

"I don't know what to do, Troy," Sharpay suddenly spoke up, not taking her eyes off the coastal view. Then with a sigh, she added, "I feel so useless not being able to do anything to help."

"Can't the government do anything about it?"

"No," she mumbled. "The orphanage is mostly funded by the community but there's only so much they can do, you know. These people that donate aren't filthy rich or anything."

Troy angled his head to look at her side profile. "What about your dad? He's rich, isn't he?"

It was meant to be an innocent comment, but only managed to tick Sharpay off. "Do we look like an ATM to you?" she snapped. "My dad doesn't bury his money under the house, Bolton! Besides, he doesn't know about my visits to the orphanage. The only ones who knew are you and my brother."

"Why didn't you tell him, then?"

Troy was aware that he was probably suffocating her with questions, but it seemed that there was so much she was hiding of herself, and he needed to know what was the cause of it. What reason can it possibly be for her to keep something so big a secret from the people she loved?

Sharpay was hesitant, but nonetheless answered his question. "My parents are hardly ever home and there hadn't been a right moment to tell them," she said. "And Ryan had only been to the orphanage, like, three or four times, but he doesn't have that close connection to the kids that I do."

Just then, something clicked. "Wait, maybe he can help us!"

She faced him this time, tilting her head to one side. "What do you mean?"

"See, if we all start saving up and combine our money—"

"Troy, how much—or should I say, little—do you think the bank loan is? We're talking thousands, here, and not one or two hundred dollars. We can save up for months and still not come close to paying half of it," she reasoned, and much to Troy's dismay, she was right. "Besides, Ryan and I…we're not exactly on the best terms with each other."

Troy was about to open his mouth when she beat him to it.

"And I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh…"

His mind wandered back to when he was in the auditorium and clearly remembered that the Evans twins weren't sitting next to each other like they always did. Nobody knew why, but then again nobody seemed to care. No doubt that something happened between the inseparable duo. Troy considered asking Sharpay about it but thought better of it. It wasn't in his league to ask.

_Well, looks like they won't be performing together in this upcoming musical—or maybe they would._

With the Evans siblings, it was mostly unpredictable. It would be a shame though, if the two were to decide to go their separate ways. They were both important elements in a show and neither can exist without the other. Troy recalled when he hadn't been to a musical without Sharpay and Ryan in it, and realized that there hadn't been one.

"You really shouldn't think about this, Troy. I pulled you into this orphanage thing and I'm so sorry about that. I mean, you don't have to be involved. I know you're busy with basketball and stuff, so…thanks, you know, for just accompanying me today," she said softly.

_Wait, what? Was I just a chauffer for her?_

"I don't understand," he muttered.

"I know you're trying to help and all, but really, this is my affair—my burden—and I don't want to set it upon you," she let out a short laugh. "You're the captain of the basketball team. You have enough responsibilities already, so go have some fun. You don't need to be stuck with this shit."

"What if I want to be involved in this?"

"That's not a request, Troy. It's an order," she told him. "This is where you get off."

He didn't get it at all. Shouldn't it be his decision what he wanted to do? But there she was, commanding him to get out of her life. In all due respect and sincerity, Troy really did want to help the orphanage. Over the past few hours or so he'd spent there, he'd grown a certain affinity to the children, who looked up to him like a big brother they never had. And when he saw how Sharpay entertained the kids with so much love in her eyes, he never wanted to let go. If it made her happy just being there, then it was where he wanted to be. Finally he knew something about her that nobody did, and for some reason she wasn't sharing it with him. And it was frustrating.

_Is she ever going to be mine?_

They had absolutely nothing in common, yet they fitted together so perfectly. It was flawless the way they had made love that night, and regardless of the sexual physicality, Troy felt her deepest emotions. They could've been drunk or whatever it was, their thoughts could've been hazy and intoxicated, but there was one thing he couldn't forget. It was the way she looked at him.

He longed to see that look again, so badly that it ached.

Somehow, in a twisted kind of way, Troy understood where she was coming from. She probably hadn't intended to reveal her innermost secrets to anybody—more so to him—and she must've known that she had gone far enough. If she didn't stop now, there might not be a way to turn back later on, before things get out of hand. Maybe she knew the danger and consequences of it all, and didn't want to risk anything. Maybe she was scared. Maybe she wasn't as brave as he thought she was.

_Everybody has a weakness._

He wasn't asking for much. He just needed a chance.

And Troy knew that he needed a reason to be granted that chance—a reason to be with her. If she was going to take away the privilege of what the orphanage has in store for him, he'd have nothing left to wager.

"All that ice cream is making me thirsty," Sharpay announced, interrupting his train of thought.

"What?"

"I'm thirsty," she repeated, then twisted her body around to scan the beach for the nearest refreshment shack.

"We can go to Slushie 'N' Smoothie if you want," Troy suggested.

"I'm too lazy to walk two and a half miles for that," she muttered with a roll of her eyes. "You'd think someone would be smart enough to at least open a lemonade stand somewhere around here."

A light bulb went off in his head.

"That's it! Lemonade stand!" he exclaimed, maneuvering his body to properly face her, propping his right leg up to rest an arm on his knee. "We can do a fundraiser!"

Too bad he didn't get the response that he was expecting from her. "Troy," she began, looking apologetic. "It's not that I don't like your idea, I love it."

"But…?"

"I'm really busy with the musical and all—putting together the music, the auditions—it's already taking up a lot of my time, and I'm not sure if—"

"What if there was a way we can combine both…" he trailed off.

"You mean sell lemonade during our musical?" she asked incredulously, then scoffed at her own proposition. "Yeah, that'll work."

"No, not sell lemonade," he mumbled, trying to link the two.

_Think, Bolton, think!_

Troy squeezed his eyes shut, knowing that if he were to look at her, he'd lose all his concentration. However, it didn't serve its original purpose because the only thing that faded into his mind was Sharpay Evans standing underneath the spotlight on a balcony as she peered into a telescope up at the night sky, smiling in amazement. She had an aura—a certain glow—and looked ethereal even though she was dressed in a simple, silky white night gown. Such innocence and purity was crashed when he saw himself slowly going up to her. There was something incredibly familiar about the scene, yet he couldn't figure out what it was. Sensing his presence, she turned around, and her beautiful face lit up before mouthing out two syllables.

_Landon._

"That's it, Shar!"

"What's it?"

"The musical!"

"What musical?"

"_Our_ musical."

Sharpay scrunched her face up in confusion. "A Walk to Remember?"

"Yes!"

"What about it?"

Troy could hardly contain his excitement, but Sharpay was giving him a weird look, as though she was afraid that he might hyperventilate. "I was thinking, instead of just holding an annual musical, we can turn this into a fund-raising event and get the entire student body involved. It'll be a huge success. That way, you're killing two birds with one stone!"

She thought about it. "I don't know, Troy—"

"Think about it, Shar," he insisted. Already on a roll, there was no way he was going to stop anytime soon. "I know tons of people who'd pay to watch one of our drama club's productions. At the same time, their money would be going to an orphanage. What better way to give back to the community than that?"

"It's not going to be that easy, Troy," Sharpay said with a slight frown, though there was determination in her voice. "If we're going to propose a fund-raiser, we'd need the school's board of directors to agree on it and then come up with a new budget. I mean, I've already pissed them off for this production as it is. They were so illiberal on giving us a few more dollars when I told them we might need a few additional lightings. They'll rip my limbs off if I have to go over with a new budget proposal."

"But—"

"Besides, if people are going to pay to watch the production, it just has to knock them off their feet—and it's not just the performance, but the advertising, the sets, the music and sound—but it's just too much work to be done in such a short period of time."

Troy wasn't going to give up yet. "We can get the editorial team to do up the posters and flyers—whatever it is—no problem. Chad's mum works for the daily newspaper and they always have this entertainment section about what's going on, and I'm sure that if we talk to her, she might be able to help us advertise for free. And we can get the entrepreneurship club to deal with the tickets, maybe sell some merchandise as well—"

"Whoa, put the brakes on there, Troy," Sharpay butted in, holding up both her hands for greater emphasis. "I can see where you're going with this, but eventually we'll have to go through the board of directors, and I highly doubt that they're going to approve on—"

"I'll get my dad to talk to them, then," he blurted out without thinking. Sharpay stopped short as his words sank in, and he took that chance to add in, "this would be a great opportunity, Shar."

She sighed ruefully. "Troy, this is an amazing idea, but people aren't aware what Zashley Orphanage is or what it does. Nobody's going to donate to an organization that they don't know of."

"Then we'll inform them about it—together with the fundraiser," Troy countered with a certain degree of desperation in his tone.

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"Yes it does!"

Sharpay drew back a little. "How?"

"All we have to do is get Mrs. Darbus to agree on the idea." He lifted up one shoulder and continued, "she might help us deal with the board of directors. Once that's done, we'll just have to announce it to the entire school. Everybody's going to love the idea, Shar!"

"Troy—"

"It doesn't hurt to try, okay? Think of the kids in the orphanage and how much it'll mean to them and Carmen. Just give it a shot. What do you have to lose?"

She bit her lower lip, considering the possibilities. Troy was praying—pleading—in his heart that she'd agree to the idea. It was the only thing he could offer at that moment and he hoped with each fiber of his body that she'd take it up. It was his one-way ticket.

"Will you leave me alone if I said yes?"

He felt a smile tugging on his lips. "On the contrary, you'll be seeing a lot more of my oh-so-handsome face."

"You're so conceited! No way!"

Troy heaved a sigh. He was running out of things to say to her. "If not for me or Josh, at least do it for Lily," he said, gazing into her eyes. "You're her only guardian angel, Shar. Don't let her down."

"Troy, I can't…"

"Please?"

* * *

The gravel crunched beneath the tires of Troy's red Saab as he slowed the car to a stop directly at the foot of the wide marble entrance stairs that led up to the vast mansion.

"Thanks for the ride, Troy," Sharpay said, giving him a sweet and sincere smile. "I really appreciate it."

"No problem, Shar," he replied, returning the gesture.

She gave him a wink and nodded, still grinning. "Good night, then," she finished and unbuckled her seatbelt. The door gave a slight annoying creak when she threw it open, but Troy stopped her before she could slam it close.

"Shar?" he called out.

"What?" she feigned exasperation, bending over to look at him, her hand still on the frame of the door.

"Er…" he started, struggling to string the words together. "I just—I want you to know that I—I had fun today—with you—and the kids…and that maybe we can—you know—I'd like to—to go back there again—and—and—"

"Good night, Troy," she cut him off and swung the door shut. She jogged up the flight of stairs and when she got to the landing, she spun around and watched as he circled the water fountain in the middle of the driveway to exit through the fancy wrought iron gate. Unable to help herself, Sharpay chuckled at his corny antics.

_That's a rare sight,_ she thought, but had to admit though, Troy Bolton looked really cute when he was nervous and stuttering.

Turning her body to face the huge solid oak double door, she noticed from the window that there was light filtering through the curtains. Her twin brother must still be awake, probably waiting for her. Sharpay blew a raspberry and rolled her eyes. She seriously didn't want to deal with him at the moment—especially not when she knew he was probably watching her like a hawk. Sure, they'd had a pretty civil conversation during breakfast, but he was rather cold and distant towards her in school. He didn't once glance her way in class or stop by her locker before lunch period or acknowledge her in the science lab, but she figured she knew the reason for it.

Taking a deep breath, Sharpay cautiously turned the doorknob and stepped in, trying to be as quiet as possible. Feeling satisfied when it clicked, she whirled around—only to cause a loud thump as she jumped back with a startled gasp, her body plastered to the door.

"Ryan!"

He stood in the middle of the entryway, hands jammed into his pockets and looking peeved, and she instantly knew she was in deep waters. "Where have you been?"

**It keeps rainin' in my head  
****Won't stop fallin'  
****Things were done and words were said  
****That won't stop hauntin' me**

Sharpay cleared her throat and pushed herself away from the door, then shrugged nonchalantly and said, "to the orphanage."

He tore his eyes away from her. "Don't lie to me!" he yelled, his voice echoing throughout the house.

"I'm not lying to you, Ryan!"

"Then why is Troy Bolton sending you home?" he shot back, jabbing his index finger into the air.

"Troy Bolton? I don't know what you're talking about," Sharpay told him, trying to sound scornful, as she marched past him.

"Why are you still trying to lie to me? I'm not fucking blind, okay, I saw his load of shit pulling up a minute ago!"

Sharpay froze, frowning. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You were watching me?"

**I could choose not to forgive and loose my innocence  
****Face to face with those who live in foolish confidence**

"Why were you out with him?" he boomed, all his pent up emotions emancipated in one breath.

Whirling around, she spat out, "that's none of your business, Ryan!"

"Damnit, Sharpay!"

"Why do you care, anyway, huh?" she challenged. "I'm not destroying your life or jeopardizing your future—"

"Because I love you," he said, crystal clear. "And I don't want to see you get hurt."

The corner of Sharpay's lips turned up into a sneer. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, anyway."

Ryan just folded his arms across his chest. "Try me."

**In this crazy, mixed-up world  
****Know it's hard to hold your ground**

She really hated this—knowing what was going to come. He was demanding for the truth and nothing but the truth, but whether he'd like it or not, Sharpay wasn't going to care. This was it. His last shot. She was going to lay it out in front of him, but should he choose to trust her with it was his decision. Suddenly, she couldn't be bothered about what he thought of her. It was simply too draining.

**Never know which way to lean  
****I've stumbled and I've found  
****I'm chasing demons in my head & they keep winnin'  
****Leaves me reaching for the thread of a new beginning**

"My car broke down, and I called you but all I got was your voicemail. It just so happened that Troy was there so he gave me a ride."

"And I suppose it just so happened that he took you out for a candlelight dinner too?"

His sarcasm didn't go undetected, and instantly her hazel eyes blazed with a deadly glare. "There _was__n't_ any candlelight dinner," she spoke through gritted teeth.

"Then why are _you_ home so late? What, did his car break down in the middle of nowhere and suddenly he decided he's going to play hero and fix it, save the day and impress you?"

_Damn you, Ryan!_

"We were at the orphanage," she said, trying to keep her temper to the minimal.

His bitter laugh told her everything she needed to know. He didn't believe her. "Yeah, right, Shar. You and Troy went to the orphanage this afternoon. Now, tell me, did he play some basketball with the kids too while he was there?"

"As a matter of fact, he did."

"Oh, I'm sure Josh was thrilled!"

"You know what? He was," she shot back.

"What's next? Fundraising?"

"Yes, actually, we were thinking of that and—"

"Quit the fucking act, Shar, okay?" he snapped. "If you didn't want to tell me anything, at least don't lie straight to my face."

Her voice went up a notch. "I wasn't lying to you!"

"Yeah, do you think that was the first time you said that to me?"

"I mean it!"

"Stop fucking around with me!" he lashed out, and Sharpay couldn't recall when he was this furious.

"I was telling you the truth!"

"That's bull shit!"

"Why wouldn't you believe anything I say?" she cried out.

"I'm done believing you, Sharpay," he seethed, his face completely beetroot.

"Fine! Then don't!"

**I will be me  
****And this I know for sure**

And with that, she trudged up the stairs, creating a ruckus as she stormed into her room and slammed the door so hard, the walls shook with impact. She knew that throwing her tantrum around was incredibly childish but she had all this bad energy coursing in her body, she just needed to let them all out. Flinging herself onto her neatly made bed, she sunk her face into a pillow and screamed into it till she felt her throat getting sore. She couldn't be bothered if she was going to wake up the next morning without her voice, because all she could think about was the deafening pain she might be causing Ryan at the moment. In a way, it would be tremendously satisfying to burst her twin brother's eardrums—if she even could do that—knowing it wasn't comparable to the hurt he'd caused her.

He'd cut her deep this time. Real deep.

**And I'll still believe  
****When there's darkness at my door  
****I'm holdin' on  
****To the fire burnin'  
****Deep inside of me**

* * *

Sharpay paced around the music room, humming the tune as she studied the score sheet in her hands, thoughtfully tapping a pencil on her chin for tempo. She'd been working on the song for two hours now, yet nothing seemed right and she was growing agitated. Sometimes it was a pain in the ass being such a perfectionist.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

For a split second she considered yelling for Ryan to check on it because it was a habit, but promptly remembered that he'd gone out early that morning—without so much as glance her way or say a word—when she was having some breakfast. Sharpay had just rolled her eyes and silently thanked the heavens that she didn't need to be in the same compound as her brother. She could barely sleep at all last night, cursing Ryan with every bit of vulgarity she could find for very second she was awake.

_That had better not be him_, she thought, grumbling. After placing her score sheets on the music rest of her light Persian pink Baby Grand piano, she headed over to answer the door, scheming a hundred ways to kill her twin sibling for interrupting her.

Sharpay prepared herself for another bickering match, but as soon as she saw who it was, her eyebrows sprung up.

"Troy?"

"Hey, Shar," he said with a lopsided smile as he rubbed the nape of his neck with one hand while he had one thumb hooked under the strap of his backpack.

"What're you doing here?"

"Er…it's a long story," he chuckled nervously. "Can I come in?"

"Oh, sure," she told him, stepping aside to hold the door open for him. "Had your breakfast yet?" she asked, leading him to the kitchen.

He sat himself down on one of the bar stools and dumped his bag on the counter. "Um..yeah," he answered, only to be betrayed by the sound of his stomach growling.

Sharpay tried to stifle a giggle, just so he wouldn't be embarrassed that she'd actually heard it. She decided she ought to come to his rescue and opened her huge refrigerator, digging her nose through the contents inside it. "Let's see, we've got some apple pie, chicken casserole…hmm…if you're really hungry, we've got some beef lasagna that I can microwave for you, or do you prefer fish sticks? We have some frozen pizza too…and…oh, do you want scrambled eggs?" she listed out, then stopped to face him and noticed he was somewhat lost. "Or do you want some cereal? We've got milk. There's toast, blueberry muffins, cinnamon rolls…you name it. Or would you like a sandwich instead? I can whip something up for you—"

"No, it's okay. I'm fine," he insisted.

She eyed him uncertainly. "You sure?"

"Yeah." And once again his stomach rumbled.

"Your tummy doesn't think so," she teased, planting her hands on her hips.

Troy's face automatically flushed a shade of red. "I'll—I'll have a muffin, then," he gave in, nodding towards the pastry case on the center island.

Sharpay lifted the dome glass cover and brought the tray over to him. "Help yourself," she said, and went back to the fridge to pull out a carton of juice. "O.J. okay?"

He just nodded, his mouth too full to speak.

_Wow,_ she thought as she fetched two glasses from the cupboard. She set them down in front of him and poured the orange liquid in while she watched him practically gobbling up his muffin. Then sheepishly he took one of the glasses and gulped the juice down in three seconds flat. _He must be really hungry._

"Jeez, Bolton, what brings you here so early without even having breakfast?" she snickered.

"Oh, right! This." He laid his blueberry pastry down and dusted his hands before reaching into his backpack and fishing out a writing pad, which he then handed to her.

Sharpay took a sip of her drink and read through the contents on the front page. There were tons of scribbles and mathematical equations, and she wondered if it was his schoolwork that he'd vandalized on. There was a list at the bottom of the page, written in thin marker. "Carwash? Bake sale? Carnival? What are all these?"

Troy leaned forward, resting his arms on the cool marble counter to support his upper body weight. "Well, I was thinking last night, you know, and maybe you were right about the board of directors being really stingy with the school's fund. I talked to my dad and he said that they almost bit his head off for wanting new jerseys for the team, but there has to be a way that we can increase the budget for the production without getting our asses chewed on."

"And that would be…?"

He jabbed his index finger on the paper. "Side fundraisers."

"Troy, we only have two months for this, and the students will be busy enough with school and the musical and—"

"Not the students, Shar. The kids in the orphanage," he clarified.

Sharpay's forehead creased. "I don't get it."

"I did some calculations last night—"

She glanced at him in disbelief. "Whoa, you were doing math?"

Troy rolled his maya blue eyes in an incredibly adorable way, at the same time giving her a pointed look. "And I realized that the maximum amount that we can make from the musical –provided that there aren't any complimentary tickets—will only come to two-thirds of the bank loan, and that's not including the rental fees. It's not going to be enough," he explained.

"Can't we just increase the price of the tickets then?"

"Shar, the price of each ticket it eight dollars. We can't afford to charge any higher than that," he informed her.

Sharpay's face fell. "Oh."

"That's why we need a side fundraiser," he said. "We can do a carwash, no big deal. The kids can help too, and I'm sure they'll love getting soaked and all. And I'm sure the bake sale's going to be fun for them too—helping out in the kitchen and—"

"I'm impressed," she nodded. "You've really thought this through, haven't you?"

"I didn't sleep last night."

Sharpay grinned—genuine and grateful. "Thanks, Troy. I really appreciate it."

Troy's face instantly lit up. "No problem."

"You know, I think this might be East High's best production ever," she declared, throwing her hands in the air.

"Are you auditioning for the play, then?" he wanted to know. Their gazes intersected and Sharpay felt her pulse speed up. His eyes, twin pools of cerulean blues, were filled with so much hope and longing, it was just heartbreaking.

Involuntarily, she tore her eyes away from him. "No," she murmured.

"Oh," he whispered, the disappointment evident in his voice. "Why?"

Sharpay hesitated. "I have my reasons."

That was the end of their discussion, and Troy probably knew it because he didn't pry, but the confused look didn't leave his face as he tried to digest what she meant by that. Taking his distraction as an advantage, Sharpay made a quick escape back to the music room and into the recording studio, where she began working on the complicated state-of-the-art equipment, typing commands into the computer and manually adjusting buttons here and there. She was so intent on getting the settings right that she didn't hear the door click open.

"Hey."

Startled, she whipped around. "Oh, jeez! Troy!" she squealed, covering her hands over her chest.

"Sorry, I'm sorry!" he apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you!"

"Well, is there something you need?" she arched an eyebrow.

He shrugged. "Just wanted to see what you were doing," he said, walking over to the piano, lighting tinkling the keys.

Sharpay folded her arms and made her way over to where he was. "I was just revising the melody for a song in our musical on Garageband, why?"

"Oh, nothing…I was just…curious," he muttered, tracing the piano with his finger till he found the music scores that were sitting there. He held it up to read what it was. "Is this the song you were singing the other day in the auditorium?"

"Yes," she said and quickly snatched the pieces of paper from his fingers.

"Is it done yet?" he wanted to know.

Shaking her head, she answered, "No, but thanks for helping me with it. I just need to finish up on the second verse and the ending. Darbus wants to listen to it on Monday."

"That's tomorrow!"

"I know!" she whined dramatically. "And nothing's working for me today. I am so screwed!"

Troy tilted his head. "Can you do me a favour?"

Sharpay narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "What?"

"Play it for me."

* * *

Ryan stepped into the house and heard someone playing the piano. He paused at the entryway, his brow furrowing as he tried to listen. There was a short stop to the music, then an awkward chord was struck, followed by laughter—two very distinct laughter—and immediately his fingers balled into tight fists. He felt his guts churning, bubbling like hot lava in the brink of eruption. One voice belonged to Sharpay, and he didn't need to guess who the other one belonged to because he knew right from the moment he saw that red Saab in the driveway.

_Troy Bolton._

What he was doing here didn't matter to Ryan anymore. He'd heard the nasty rumours in school but he didn't trust any of them—he didn't want to. Ever since Junior High, he'd gotten used to people bitching about his twin sister, but they'd never cared. People had always blown things off proportion and exaggerated the littlest of details. It had never bothered Ryan before. Nobody had actually come close to the truth, and that was all that counted. He knew Sharpay like no one else did and trusted her without question.

**Should I let you fall?  
****Lose it all?  
****So maybe you can remember yourself.  
****Can't keep believing,  
****We're only deceiving ourselves .  
****And I'm sick of the lie,  
****And you're too late.**

_But now…_

After Troy had dropped her off last night, Ryan had been counting the possibilities and circumstances, doubting his sister's credibility altogether. Any respect he had left for her was flushed down the sewage pipe in a blink of an eye. And considering that Troy was in their house at the moment, probably up to no good, Ryan didn't know who or what to believe in anymore. His own flesh and blood wouldn't tell him anything, but yet there she was with a person who was part responsible for the pain she'd gone through over the years. Had she really betrayed him after everything they'd gone through in life? Had she broken her promise to him?

Following their voices led Ryan towards the music room. The door was ajar and quietly he peeked in through the small crack. He only saw Sharpay's back as she experimented with some notes on the keys. Shifting his gaze, he saw East High's Golden Boy sitting beside her on the piano stool. Ryan strained his ears to eavesdrop on their conversation but couldn't hear what Troy was saying that made Sharpay laugh—a truly happy and hearty laugh which he hadn't seen in days.

A week before, Sharpay wouldn't be in the same room with Troy without spitting venom at him or jumping on his nerves to drive him crazy as hell. She wouldn't tolerate hearing his name within a ten-mile radius. In fact, she'd be glad to personally castrate him if she could. That was how intense her hatred was towards him. It was scary.

_How can she change so much out of a sudden?_

Something phenomenal must've happened. And then it dawned on him.

_Maybe they _did_ sleep together._

**Couldn't take the blame.  
****Sick with shame.  
****Must be exhausting to lose your own game.  
****Selfishly hated,  
****No wonder you're jaded.  
****You can't play the victim this time,  
****And you're too late.**

It was a piercing stab to his back as a chill ran up his spine. Suddenly, he wasn't hurt or angry that his own sister wasn't letting him in on an incident that was so major—a turning point in her life—and if anything, Ryan was disappointed and disgusted. The thought of Sharpay doing something so bloody stupid was sickening. How could she have allowed that to happen? She'd always been a strong girl with firm beliefs. There was no way she would screw that up—or more importantly get screwed—pun intended.

_What was she thinking?_

He reckoned she probably wasn't.

There was another round of laughter, jerking him back to reality. And then, without another last glance, he spun around and headed out of the house.

**So don't cry to me.  
****If you loved me,  
****You would be here with me.  
****Don't lie to me,  
****Just get your things.  
****I've made up your mind.**

* * *

"Never know what you see," she sang, her delicate fingers gracefully skating through the black and white keys. And then Troy joined in the last line, their voices blending magically, "'Cause there's something in the way you look at me…"

Sharpay played the final notes of the song, humming along to the tune before slowly lifting her eyelids. Grinning from ear to ear, she took some time to proudly examine their finished piece of work in front of her. Although it was still pretty sketchy and filled with cancellation marks, she was truly satisfied with the masterpiece. Unbelievable. After a while, she sensed a pair of eyes on her and turned her head to the right, coming face-to-face with her co-writer. His eyebrows were slightly raised, expecting a reaction from her, but in all her awe, Sharpay was at lost for words.

"We did it," she breathed.

The smile that he was wearing on his God-forbiddingly handsome face expanded some more. "Yeah, we did," he agreed, not breaking eye contact.

"It's perfect, Troy."

"Do you think Darbus is going to like it?" he asked with a hint of uncertainty.

"She's going to _love_ it," she honestly told him. "Thank you."

Troy shrugged his shoulders. "Just doing what I can."

"We make a great team, don't we?"

"Yeah," he murmured, and unconsciously he began leaning in.

Sharpay, realizing that he was getting dangerously close, quickly cleared her throat and jumped to her feet. "Are you going to audition for the musical?" she said, a little louder this time, though her voice was a little shaky, and busied herself as she gathered the music sheets into her trembling hands.

Troy seemed stunned at the sudden reaction. "Er…maybe." He paused. "Why?"

"I—I just think you'll make a great Landon Carter," she pointed out trying to sound objective, though still refusing to look at him. Inwardly she cursed herself for acting all flustered and vulnerable.

"Really? Why?"

Sharpay bit her lower lip, stopping herself in time before she said anything stupid. "Well, you know, since you're popular and all, acting in this musical will help boost the sales up amongst the student body, and—" She froze when he wrapped his fingers around her arm and stood up so that they were level with each other.

Thankfully he didn't pick up on her blatant lie. "I'll go for the audition," he said, staring straight at her. "But I need you to promise me something."

With everything Sharpay could muster, she crossed her arms and plastered on a smug and devious, but nonetheless seductive look. "What is it?"

"Yes or no?"

"Okay, fine, yes," she replied in mock sarcasm. "What is it?"

"That you'll audition for Jamie Sullivan."

"What—no, Troy," she sputtered, stepping away from him. "I told you before—"

She felt a tug on her wrist and the next thing she knew, Troy had his mouth thrown over hers. The kiss, the passion, it was intense and searing like never before. Her whole body was pounding with the blood rushing through her veins. His hands traveled up from her waist to tangle his fingers into her silky blonde hair. The front of him was tight up against hers. She gasped lightly as his tongue slid into her mouth, and it only caused him to moan as she hung on and he completely devoured her.

Suddenly, she pulled away.

But with lightning-quick reflexes, he caught her hips and leaned his forehead against hers, both breathing hard.

"You promised me, Shar."

"Go, Troy," she commanded softly, her eyes still kept closed, not knowing what else might happened if she opened them.

"What? Shar, I—"

"I said go," she muttered, and this time she halfheartedly pushed him away. It was a weak attempt, and his arms only seemed to tighten around her.

"Shar, I don't—"

"No!"

Sharpay gave him a hard forceful shove that drove him stumbling backwards.

"Go. Now. I'm sick and tired of your games, Bolton," she snarled. "Get out of my house!"

* * *

**A/N: **That wasn't a blast to read, was it? Sorry! For me, some parts were really awkward, but I tried—I really did. Hehe…anyway, I know, this storyline's frustrating. I mean, just when we thought everything's nice and happy…bham! Something else happens and the drama unravels again. Wohoo!

Anyway, there's no such store called **'Slushies 'N' Smoothies'**—not that I've heard of anyway. That's just a result of my boring sense of imagination. I absolutely love marshmallows with my ice cream! Yummy!  
**Garageband** is a software used for recording of songs or writing of music and such. It's really cool and fun to use too!

**Breakin' Dishes: **I have a friend who's really into Gossip Girls, but I'm more into comedy. I'm dorky that way, you know, watching Family Guy and The Big Bang Theory and F.R.I.E.N.D.S. I love a good laugh! Thank you so much! I'm glad to give Sharpay a human side as well—most people by default aren't mean and nasty, anyway, so…yeah! I'm flattered that you actually chose my story over packing—which reminds me I'd better go pack my luggage too! Hope you like this update!

**TheDude47: **Yeah, I guess the real drama starts here, where the plot thickens and everything gets complicated. To be honest, I'm not sure when Sharpay's going to tell Troy about her condition…not so soon, I guess, because it's her biggest and deepest secret. Let's see who she eventually trusts the most, yeah? Thanks for reviewing!

**Socialitegirl: **Hehe..thank you so much! Don't worry about the mix up, it happens. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**RascalFlattsAddict: **First of all, I love Rascal Flatts. They're awesome! 'What Hurts the Most' was like my theme song at one point of my life because I was sort of emo about something…anyway…just between you and me, I prefer Emily Osment to Miley Cyrus…she's kind of overrated in my opinion (and such a flirt!). Hehe…I'm glad you decided to read it again…thanks! I love the Troypay moments too –sighs dreamily- Oh well, anyway, thanks for reviewing! Hope you liked this bit! Tell me what you think about it, yeah?

**Clotisy: **I think you might kill me for this chapter, because Sharpay pushed Troy away—again. Sorry! I guess you could do a little happy dance routine when they kissed…just a little one, though. Haha…I wouldn't call that 'tying of hair' part a major event in the whole chapter, but it is kind of cute, isn't it? It has this 'awwww' element in that even though it wasn't a passionate or a steamy scene. Hehe…thank you so much for reading and reviewing, and sticking by this story no matter how frustrating it is! Hope this chapter works for you!

**Stessa: **Thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked that last chapter. It's not like award-winning kind of story, but it means a lot coming from you! Josh is adorable, isn't he? He's really easy-going, not a brat kind of boy, and he has his own opinions even though he's only four! I guess after reading this chapter, you'll know that Sharpay and Troy are figuring something out to help the orphanage, and I guess if anything, the orphanage is a common ground for the both of them—something they can share, and there's no way Troy's going to give up on that, if it means he gets to spend more time with Sharpay. Haha…Troy really is a sweetheart, and sometimes you wonder how Sharpay can NOT fall for him…or maybe she does? Hehe…you decide for yourself, yeah? Hope you like his update!

**Noukka: **Hehe…thank you so much! You know, the part about the 'great songs, they fit so perfectly', so some reason it reminds me of Simon Cowell in American Idol! Haha…thank you so much for the compliment –blush- and for being a pleasant loyal reader that I really love having!

**Troypay4evea: **Thank you for reviewing! Well, I'll be seriously mental to make Sharpay kill herself. That's not going to happen, ever—especially not in my story—so you don't have to worry…hehe…I'd love to just kill Gabriella, and I'd love to slowly torture her too! You know, trap her in a poisonous gas room, or let karma work its course on her…haha…hope you like this chapter!

**Misshannah.x: **Thanks for reading and reviewing! You are awesome that way…hehe…I know, I was watching snippets of Idol Gives Back, and those clips they play during the results show, it makes me reflect on just how incredibly blessed I am to be under a proper shelter with proper food and electricity, clean water…and a family who loves me. Their friendship/relationship thing is really weird and screwed up, isn't it? But then again, they got 'together' under uncompromising circumstances. They did sleep together, and that exactly isn't quite an ideal start…Oh, and by the way…there you go! A troypay kiss, dedicated just for you! Cheers!

**Imuzuok: **Whoa…you caught on the 'irony' part of Sharpay's illness…you're good! I don't want to give too much away, so I'm not going to guarantee you that it's as deadly as it sounds…hehe…Yup, the complications are just starting too! And guess what? I used your review as part of a line in the story! 'Maybe he can help us' is dedicated specially for you! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! It means a lot to me!

**HeSaidSheSaidx: **-blush- Thank you so much! Gosh, I really love your stories and you just HAVE to update them! Oh, and that horoscope thing in your profile, that's so true! I'm an Aquarian by the way, so…hehe…I'm really flattered that I've inspired you! You really made my day! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Evane21: **Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**LoveIsLost29: **Thank you so much! Haha…almost everything about Sharpay is dramatic, isn't it? Hope you like this update!

Haha…well, something's bugging me. I mean, I have people putting this story on alert and all, but not as many reviewing, so I know there are people who don't review and such, but I guess that's the only way I know about who's actually reading this story so that I can get opinions and suggestions too! Hehe…I'd really appreciate it.

Songs used – "I Will Be Me" by Ashley Tisdale and "Call Me When You're Sober" by Evanescence


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **I know, I know. I probably deserve a good punishment and a scolding for keeping this story in the shadows for so long, but in my defence, Id been terribly busy, honest! I had this massive assignment for a module called Experimental Design Studio and it took up the whole semester. On top of that, I still had filming work to do. Now and then, I've tried to write this chapter bit by bit, so voila! Here it is!

xXx  
Ceruleanblues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 14**

She burst through the school doors, and instantly silence rippled through the entire student body. Nose flaring and her rosy cheeks flaming, she stood in the middle of the corridor, poised and ready to kill. Her usual sensual pout was replaced by an infuriated frown that threatened to remain permanent on her face. Almond-shaped hazel eyes shot laser beams at anybody who came into her line of vision as she scanned the hallway, filled with terrified people, for her rightful prey.

Target locked.

She found him.

_You are fucking dead._

Her fists, already clenched like a vice, tightened some more on the fabric that she held captive as evidence. Narrowing her chocolate orbs into slits, she walked over to the unsuspecting victim in a slow measured gait of a predator. The steady beat of her footsteps echoed through the place, filling the stillness of the air. Every single soul in the room held their breath. It was going to be a huge scene—one that she couldn't care less if it was broadcasted live worldwide.

After all, Sharpay Evans was the drama queen, wasn't she?

**I may be found, somewhere tonight  
Cursing the day you walked into my life**

Even so, Troy Bolton didn't seem affected by what was happening around him, as he carried on occupying his attention arranging the things in his locker, his head bobbing to the song that was blasting out of his headphones.

Disregarding basic courtesy altogether, she channeled all of her pent up anger to her palm and forcefully slammed the metal door shut. The impact of the blow caused a gust of wind to dishevel the Wildcat's basketball captain's dark shaggy hair—missing his fingers by a quarter of an inch.

However, before Troy could register what had happened, or recover from initial shock, Sharpay had a piece of clothing thrown to his stunned-expressing face.

**What's done is done, I can't change time  
But I'll be damned if I'm not gonna try  
Oh I'm gonna try**

"Fuck you," she seethed through gritted teeth.

Troy blinked for a nanosecond before dropping his gaze down to his hands and studying the familiar-looking fabric. To confirm his doubts, he held it up and read the bold letters imprinted on the back of the baggy white and red jersey.

"Where'd you get this?" he asked.

"Cut the act, Bolton," Sharpay snapped, and then jabbed a finger on his chest. "What do you take me for, huh? An idiot? Do you think I was born yesterday?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Shar, I—"

"Don't call me that, you lying asshole!"

Troy drew back for a moment, clearly confused. "What? Sharpay, I really, really don't know anything about this, I swear! I haven't seen this jersey in weeks. In fact, I've been searching for this three days ago. Where'd you find it?"

Sharpay had it with his endless lies. She wasn't going to surrender into his very convincing act of innocence—not anymore. She had believed him, trusted him enough to let him into a part of her life—a part that she thought was beautiful even before he came in—and spun a whirlwind of momentary excitement. How could she have not seen it coming? Wasn't it too good to be true? Despite all the negativity, a portion of her still knew—or maybe she was hoping too much—that Troy truly cared about her.

How completely foolish and naïve.

And now, she wasn't going to fall into his web of deceit.

_Not again._

Spinning on her heels, Sharpay stomped away—not knowing where she was heading, so long as she wasn't within conversational distance of the person she detested with all her heart. She turned at a junction and felt a sudden sense of satisfaction, as though a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Troy was finally out of her life, and she was once again able to resume to her usual self-absorbed self that everybody perceived her to be. She was going to pretend that it had all been one horrendous nightmare she could at last wake up of.

_Everything's going to be just fine and—_

"Sharpay!"

She hissed at the sound of his voice—how it pierced through her skin and sent shivers down her spine. His sneakers made irritating squeaking noises against the floor, which only caused her already pounding head to thunder like a stampede, but she didn't stop. Instead, she sped up, wanting to just block him out of her life—just wanting him to leave and continue being the school's prized trophy and idol—to just disappear.

"Sharpay, wait!"

Somewhere in the midst of all the hatred was a globe of compassion—one that was slowing her down from her trek. Yet, she wasn't going to cave in.

"Please…"

And that was all she needed.

She paused. Then sighing, she slowly turned to face him, realizing now that he'd stopped chasing after her and was standing at the opposite end of the corridor.

**But every now and then, my heart gives in  
To the hope that someday you'll change  
Then alone I'll wake, to my own mistakes  
That it's just a foolish game**

"Just leave me alone, Troy. Get out of my life now, and leave me alone," she told him, her voice faltering as she felt frustrated tears gathering at the back of her eyes.

He roughly ran his fingers through his tousled hair before trudging up to her and staring straight into her golden brown orbs. Before Sharpay could respond, she found herself drowning into the depths of his oceanic cerulean blues. They drew her in, pulling her deeper into the abyss in which she only could see what the heavens would offer. Yet, there was something in those clear crystals that she hadn't seen before.

There was something in the way he looked at her.

"Shar—"

She snapped back to reality at the mention of her name and glared hard at him.

Instantly, Troy got the drift and added, "—pay." She held her ground, not backing down as she folded her arms in a defensive stance. He sighed and firmly held her arms. In a gentle tone, he pleaded, "Please tell me what's wrong?"

Sharpay wrenched herself free from his grasp and turned away. She bit her lower lip, regarding him for a moment, weighing on whether she ought to believe him or not. However, she reminded herself of how he had been playing with her mind all this time just to get her wrapped around his finger—and how much she had had enough of his games. But no matter how hard she tried to follow common sense, she found her conscience surrendering to his charm.

"My mechanic found it stuffed in my precious car's exhaust pipe," she snarled, whirling around to face him. "If you need somebody to do your filthy laundry, you could've just billed the dry cleaning to me without hijacking my convertible."

"What?" Troy said, scrunching his forehead together in confusion. "Sharpay, I really have no idea what you're talking about. What do you mean you found my jersey in your exhaust pipe?"

"That's exactly what it means, Bolton," she shot back. "What are you saying; my mechanic made it all up? I can bet you if he was going to lie about anything, it wouldn't be as fucking lame as yours."

"But I swear to you, I have nothing to do with it!" he insisted.

Sharpay rolled her eyes dismissively, her patience running thin. "You're a really persistent liar, you know that? Too bad I'm not just some blonde crackwhore. I know what you're trying to do, here. You deliberately rammed your putrid uniform into my car just so it'll break down, then wait for the perfect opportunity to swoop down and rescue the damsel in distress, just so you can get into my good books and weave your way into my life, get all the information you need and humiliate me in front of the entire school again." She took a deep breath and planted her hands on her hips. "Is that it?"

"Sharpay—"

"Tell me, Bolton, how much were you paid for this, huh?"

"I wasn't—"

"Who paid you to do this?" she interjected again, disallowing him to defend himself. "Who? Chad? Taylor? Zeke? Gabriella?"

"I broke up with Gabriella days ago!" Troy burst out, throwing his hands in the air.

**Somewhere tonight, you may be found  
With some other girl you've been draggin' around**

"Maybe that was just something you tell me to throw me off," Sharpay retorted, jabbing a finger downwards. "Maybe the both of you are in this sick twisted plot to screw up my life, make a laughing stock of it and watch me fail miserably to grasp back my wounded ego—again."

"That's crazy! Why won't you believe me?"

"I'm done believing you, Troy Bolton. If there is anything that I believe in this world anymore, it sure as hell isn't you."

**You lie to yourself, and you lie to me  
It seems like the truth is your worst enemy**

* * *

He watched her run away from him and disappeared round the corner, and suddenly he felt the desperate need to punch something—something to vent out the frustrations that dueled in his heart. It would probably ease some tension in his muscles, but instead settled on counting till ten.

"Damnit!" he cursed under his breath.

Troy leaned against the wall behind him just as the bell rang. But he couldn't care less. He probably wouldn't be able to concentrate in class, so he figured he might just come up with some lame excuse later on and hopefully his Math teacher would buy it. Right now, he had something else to focus on.

Sighing seemed to be what he did a lot since last night, and he couldn't help but let another one out. He just didn't get it. Nothing clicked, and somehow everything was wrong with him and Sharpay. He couldn't understand where she was coming from, and he was utterly confused. Her voice kept ringing in his ears—all those false accusations that was beyond ridiculous.

_How did she even think of it?_

It was absurd, how her mind could fool her into such things. It was manipulative to the extend of being dark and haunting, which didn't make any sense, considering how he'd seen the bright, positive and innocent side of her—a side that he loved so much, that he respected and above all believed was truly her. She had been so full of hopes and dreams, with so much unmistaken determination to achieve the greatness in life—to shower love into the lives of children. How did everything turn a hundred and eighty degrees overnight?

_Does she really think so lowly of herself? Does she really think so lowly of me? _he thought.Troy couldn't come up with a logical reason as to why she was acting that way.

Just then, something at the corner of his eye caught his attention. His basketball jersey. Amidst all the argument, he must have negligently thrown it aside, but now, he realized the importance it held as a clue to solve this problem. Troy picked it up from the floor and a sudden flash of memory hit his mind. One name he could think of.

"Gabriella."

He remembered it all too clearly.

It was a Friday evening and the Wildcats were playing against a team from Terry to qualify for the All-State Nationals. Troy reckoned it was one of his toughest matches but nonetheless East High emerged the winner with only a five point difference. And then he remembered Gabriella being the first person to run up to him with her ultra short mini skirt, an extra tight tank top that barely covered her midriff and silver stilettos, and claiming him as though she had won the game. She had slobbered his face with lip gloss after kissing him on every exposed inch of skin, and he recalled almost half the students fake gagging at the sight.

However, at that time though, he was probably too blind to notice. He'd enjoyed all of her devoted attention without realizing her selfish motives. The team had a celebration afterwards at Buffalo Wild Wings, and unfortunately, Gabriella had a little too much of alcohol intake and was incapable of returning home herself. Being the ever gentleman and the perfect boyfriend, he offered to drive her home in his shabby red Saab, but she insisted on staying over at his place because she was afraid of what her dad would do to her if he'd seen her in such a state. Again, being the best companion any girl could have, Troy agreed to her request, and snuck her up to his room. She told him that she was uncomfortable in that skirt and all, and wanted something of his to wear instead. The first thing she grabbed hold of was his jersey which was draped over his swivel chair. It was relatively big on her, and he was worried if she might be cold in the middle of the night, but she had giggled and told him that it was ridiculous, and that she loved wearing his jersey. Then, she'd tried seducing him into climbing into the bed with her. It wasn't as though Troy was disgusted to sleep with her. On the other hand, with a slightly intoxicated mind, it was pretty tempting. Nevertheless, the better side of him took over, and he ended up laying a sleeping bag on the floor.

He had woken up the next morning with Gabriella lying next to him—fully clothed—and having her arms tightly around him, as though she was afraid he might disintegrate any moment and leave her. Realising that his mum might come knocking on his door at any minute, Troy quickly woke his girlfriend up and helped her escape through his bedroom window.

And that was the last he'd seen of that jersey.

"That scheming bitch!" he hissed, finally piecing the puzzle together. Troy turned to face the wall and impulsively drove his fist into it, sending a jolt of pain through his hand. "That fucking, scheming bitch!"

His first instinct was to find Sharpay and set the record straight—that his slimy ex-girlfriend had deviously framed him—but somehow he had a feeling that she wasn't going to trust him that easily. It would take a lot more than just a simple explanation to gain her conviction. She'd demand evidence—probably some form of recorded confession—and Troy knew that Gabriella would never give him the satisfaction by surrendering to his desires.

The all-round pain-in-the-ass math genius wasn't that stupid.

_How am I going to prove to Sharpay that I'm innocent?_

Most importantly, how was Troy going to prove to girl he cared so much about that his heart was genuine, and that what he felt for her wasn't just a figment of his or her own imagination. That his love for her was real.

_It'll take a lot more than just words to convince her,_ he thought, gnawing on his cuticle. _I'll have to show her that I'm serious about wanting to be a part of her life and that I'm not just some jerk out to toy with her heart. _

_The question, though, is how?_

* * *

**My tears run down like razorblades  
And no, I'm not the one to blame  
It's you or is it me?  
And all the words we never say**

Sharpay barged into the girl's toilet with all the energy she had left and collapsed on the floor, coughing violently. The burning pain in her chest was so excruciating, that it left her curling up in a fetal position. She dug her fingers into the skin of her collarbone and squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to ease the agony, but the coughs wouldn't stop. Clamping her lips together, she had to resist the aching need to scream, allowing only the tears to roll down her cheeks.

Minutes seemed like an eternity before her wheezing slowly subsided. As she tried to catch her breath and stabilize her pulse, her tongue ran across her lips to relief some moisture into what she thought felt like sand paper, and she tasted something metallic at the corner of her mouth. With a trembling hand, she reached up to touch the red liquid.

_Fuck._

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't swallow the amount of bile that was collecting in her throat. Mustering all the remaining strength that was left in her petite frame, Sharpay clung on to the edges of the sink and laboriously hauled herself up to her numb feet. She felt her eyes drooping slightly and her vision blurring, but forced herself to stay awake. Bracing herself on one hand, she turned on the tap and let the water flow for a while before splashing some all over her face. She took a glimpse of her reflection on the mirror and noticed how incredible pale she was.

Suddenly the door swung open and Little Miss Perfect strutted in like a Persian cat in its territory. Immediately Sharpay's head started throbbing once again. Of all people, she seriously didn't want to deal with Gabriella Montez at the moment, who had a smug smirk spread across her injected-looking face. The brunette stood directly behind the blonde and folded her arms in authority.

**I lose myself in all these fights  
I lose my sense of wrong and right  
I cry, I cry  
It's shaking from the pain that's in my head**

"Get the hell out of my face, Montez," Sharpay growled without looking up from the sink.

"Ooh…cranky, much?" the other girl cooed in fake concern.

"I'm not in the mood, bitch, buzz off!"

Gabriella didn't budge. She didn't even bat an eyelash. "I want you to stay away from Troy, you hear me?" she said threateningly through gritted teeth. "He's mine!"

"Why don't _you_ tell _him_ that instead?" Sharpay rejoined, finally whirling round to face her arch nemesis. "He's _your_ fucking ex-boyfriend."

Gabriella raised an eyebrow and boldly took a step forward so that their noses were only inches apart, although the brunette was shorter and had to tilt her head up slightly to meet Sharpay's eyes. "Look missy, I have no idea what you've done to him, but I'm warning you, Evans, if you so much as to come within three feet of Troy—"

**I just wanna crawl into my bed  
And throw away the life I led  
But I won't let it die, but I won't let it die**

"You know what, Montez," Sharpay cut in, staring straight into the cold dark mud-brown eyes of the teenager before her. "You and Bolton can jolly well pack up all your damn shit and get the fuck out of my life."

"You don't tell me what—"

"To do?" the Drama Queen finished for her. "I just did, skanky ho."

Gabriella gasped at the label that was just given to her. "You'd better take that back!"

"You'd better disappear in three seconds or I'll personally kick you out," Sharpay shot back. "I'm wearing heels, and I'm sure it'll hurt a lot."

"You wouldn't dare—"

Sharpay brought herself nose-to-nose with the girl, her hazel eyes hard and cold. "Watch me," she growled dangerously.

Immediately, Gabriella's face twisted into panic and she frenziedly glanced around for an available exit, her cocky demeanor evaporating into thin air. "You can't scare me, Evans," she told the blonde, trying to sound poised and unperturbed but only ended up in vain. Just like clear glass, her anxiousness was transparent to even the most oblivious of creatures.

"Really?"

Gabriella attempted to salvage the final pieces of her pride. "Yes. You're nothing but a little foxy slut living in a perfectly concealed fucked-up world. You think you're all that, but who are you trying to fool? The school, Troy or yourself?"

"You catty bimbo," Sharpay's lips slowly broke into a fake sympathetic grin that turned devious. "Who are _you_ trying to fool? How did you even let Troy slip through your slimy fingers, huh? Can't you please your own man?"

"Shut up, bitch!"

Sharpay jerked forward, startling Gabriella who let out a piercing scream, tripped over her stilettos and stumbled backwards, falling flat on her butt. A snicker escaped the drama girl's mouth as she towered over her cowering schoolmate, sprawled down on the floor like a helpless puppy. She planted both hands on her hips.

"I'm going to give you a five-second head start to get your pretty little ass out of this bathroom and get the hell out of my life."

Gabriella promptly scrambled to her feet and began dusting her clothes, all the while narrowing her brown eyes at Sharpay. "You won't get away with this. I'm not letting Troy go just like that after all that I've done."

The blonde folded her arms across her chest. "What _have_ you done anyway?"

"A lot more than what you ever would," the other girl snapped back, and with a huff, she spun on her heels and strutted out of the bathroom.

**It's not over, it's not over, it's not over  
Unless you let it break you  
It's not over**

_Whatever._

* * *

**A/N: **Hi guys, I'm aware that this update isn't as long or as good as the chapters, but I felt that there are certain things that I have to hold back for the next chapter, hehe…Something else pops up in this update, and sometimes I so wish I can just delete Gabriella from this story, but frankly, she's kind of important. She tests Troy's love for Sharpay, and in turn Sharpay's trust in Troy.

Hehe…okay, I'll stop with the literature analysis of their situation now…tell me what you think, yeah? What do you think will happen next?

**Imzuok:** Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked the previous chapter…haha…that line's my favourite too! The fund-raising and production would be coming soon, just as soon as Troy persuades Mrs Darbus regarding the orphanage (hint, hint!) Hope you enjoyed this update!

**Stessa:** Girl, first off, I am so sorry for delaying this story for so long, and you've been a really faithful reader since I can even remember! So, I hope I hadn't disappointed you with this update, 'cause I really felt that this isn't my best work. Well, it's true that Troy really looks out for Sharpay and that she shouldn't push him away, but I guess you can't blame her, can you? It's sort of a too-good-to-be-true thing for her, and she's still having doubts whether or not to fully trust him. Hehe…this chapter is angsty, though, but all might change (hint, hint!). Hope you like this bit!

**LoveIsLost29:** Thank you so much! Hehe…I guess you'll have to wait and see (read)!

**Troypay4evea:** Thank you so much, sweets! I enjoyed writing the bit where they kissed because it's just makes so much sense for them to that writing that part felt natural, you know…hehe…I know this update isn't soon enough, but I hope in some way or another you'd like it! Tell me what you think, yeah?

**Clotisy:** Haha…I'm glad your happy dance didn't go to waste…phew! You'd have to teach it to me someday, so I can learn it and then have my own happy dance for other fanfics…hehe…I agree, Troy is so sweet and patient with Sharpay, and you kind of wonder how come he isn't like that with Gabriella (although, duh! It's simply that she annoys the crap out of him). Haha…honestly, a guy like Troy Bolton is close to non-existent. My boyfriend would sometimes give me a wake-up call at 8am although he doesn't have to go to school that early, which, I guess would be considered sacrificial. But still, not as close as Troy…-sigh-

**Breakin' Dishes:** Heee…it's just so sad that they don't air F.R.I.E.N.D.S anymore –cries- but I guess I've found a new guilty pleasure—Hannah Montana—just so to watch Lily and Oliver because I think they're adorable. Pardon me for the temporary childishness. I sometimes have the urge to speed things up as well, you know, to just skip everything have type 'Happily Ever After' but I know Troypay will come eventually. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Hope you liked this chapter!

**-j'adore la hannah.:** Hahaha…yes, Sharpay can be a little twisted sometimes, but it isn't entirely her fault, though, right? I mean, she needs time to adjust to everything that's going on around her and the changes in her life. She can't just accept Troy in her life without fully trusting him first. For the record, though, I love the kiss too. I love all Troypay kisses! Haha…thanks for leaving me a review! Hope you've enjoyed reading this update!

**Journeyfan4life:** Hehe…Okay.

**Emme-Girl:** Thank you so much! I'm glad you've enjoyed the previous chapter! I know this one isn't at all amazing, but I hope you like it :D Haha…I wouldn't want to ruin the story by dropping you hints now, would I? Hehe…well, as much as possible, I wouldn't want Sharpay to die as well…but we'll see where the story takes us, yeah? Even I don't know where it might lead. I'm glad I have a fellow dancer who enjoys reading as much as I do! Dope!

**Socialitegirl:** Thanks a lot! :D

**Voldy'sGoneMoldy:** Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I've just heard a remix of Rascal Flatt's "What Hurts the Most" and I love it as much as the original version! The first time I knew them, I think, was when they sang a duet with Carrie Underwood on the song "God Bless The Broken Road".

**xXchanny-zashleyXx:** Thank you so much! Hope you like this update!

**Pmillerx23:** Gosh! Thank you so much for the compliment! Seriously, I'm flattered :D I know I haven't been really consistent with my updates, and my sincere apologies for that. I'm glad though, that I haven't bore you and that I've kept you into the story. I think I've achieved something there, don't you? I hope that, you know, through all this time that I haven't updated, I haven't lost you there…hehe…I hope you like this chapter! Give me a holler, yeah?

Songs used – "Better Off Alone" by Katharine McPhee and "Awake" by Secondhand Serenade


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **I hope I didn't take as long as the previous chapter to update this thing. I thought this was a rather interesting chapter to write because the story's going somewhere—although rather slowly. Hehe…I've been incredibly busy though (yeah, I know that's nothing new) with my upcoming dance concert coming up and I'm one of the choreographers. But I'm taking that as a blessing because whenever I run out of ideas for my piece, I start to write! Yay!

Hope you enjoy this update!

xXx  
Ceruleanblues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 15**

Troy stared hard at the circular clock on the wall, hoping it would help speed up the time. Drumming his fingers anxiously on the desk, he slumped lower in his seat and drowned the droning of his History teacher's voice. Sure, the Cultural Revolution was important for his grades, but currently his head just wasn't into it. His feet were just twitching to get out of the classroom.

The lunch bell rang a moment too late and without hesitating he sprung up, making a dash for the door. He tore down the corridor with his sneakers squeaking against the linoleum floor as he dodged and jostled incoming human traffic of students getting out of their respective classes towards the cafeteria. Bumping into random people along the way, Troy didn't even stop once to apologise or explain himself. In return, he received dirty looks and foul remarks, to which he paid no attention to. Right now, there was someone he desperately needed to talk to.

Suddenly, Chad Danforth dove in front of him from out of nowhere. Troy almost let out a startled yell as he skidded to a halt.

"Damnit, Chad!" he spat out.

"Whoa, cool your jets, dude. What's your hurry?" the afro-headed basketball player asked curiously, placing a hand on his captain's shoulder to hold him back.

"Nothing, alright," Troy answered rather impatiently. "Listen, I've got to go. I'll catch up with you soon."

**Don't tell me that you are ready to change.  
Don't tell me that from now it won't be the same.  
It doesn't matter, 'cause at the end of the day,  
It isn't what you say, it's what you do.**

"Hang on for a sec, man," Chad said, stopping his friend again.

"What is it?"

"Look, the team's going to be down for a friendly game today. You in?"

Troy paused for a nanosecond to think. "I can't. I've got something on after school."

"Dude, the auditions aren't till next week," Chad scowled.

"I know," Troy replied rather distractedly. "And I have to practice if I want to get the part of Landon."

"Oh, I see…" For some reason, Chad cracked a knowing smile and gave his teammate a playful slap on the back. "Planning to sweep your girlfriend off her feet again, eh? Trying to get the lead roles for this production?"

Scrunching his face in confusion, Troy blurted out, "what? I broke up with Gabriella days ago," to which he later found out wasn't exactly the smartest move.

It took the Knucklehead approximately three seconds to process the newly-gained information. With bated breath, Troy painfully watched as his best friend's expression turned sour, and then hissed at his own slip of tongue.

_Why can't I just keep my big mouth shut?_ he thought miserably, knowing that a pissed-off Chad isn't something he wanted to deal with at the moment. _Fuck._

"What the hell, Troy," Chad burst out and narrowed his eyes accusingly at his dishonest pal. "Why didn't you tell me? When was this?" he demanded.

"Not now, Chad," Troy told him, his tone urgent. He quickly glanced around and noticed that the corridor was surprisingly empty. "I don't have the time."

"You don't have the time for what, exactly?" Chad sarcastically wanted to know. "I haven't seen you around anymore. You're hardly even home. Whenever I call your landline, your mum always picks it up and she wouldn't even know where you've gone. What's been bangin' on your door? Or should I ask who—"

"I really have to go, Chad," Troy cut in, stepping away from his buddy and walking backwards. "I'll talk to you soon, okay?" With that, he turned around and continued with his passage.

**What you say will be forgotten someday.  
What you do will be remembered.  
Empty promises all fade away.  
What you keep will last forever.**

"Don't bother, man," the darker guy snapped, anger evident in his voice. The glare that he was directing at the back of Troy's head was like a blasting laser beam. "I know you're too busy trailing after the Ice Queen like a little lost lapdog. I didn't think she'd have the heart to fire that faggot twin of hers and hire you instead."

Troy came to an immediate halt as his muscles stiffened at the words, where it hit him squarely in the gut. There was absolutely no way that his best friend had insulted Sharpay Evans the way that he had just done. It was totally uncalled for. That asshole knew nothing about her—the girl whom Troy had come to appreciate and care about to an extent of being infinite—and just by uttering those sinful lexis, Chad had crossed all borders by insulting him as well. All respect he ever had for his teammate flew out of the window with each heaving breath.

_Son of a bitch!_

The tension in the air was thick and suffocating. Jaws tightened, fists clenched, the shaggy-haired captain was quivering slightly with anger in a stance that could only lead to one ugly situation. Slowly, Troy faced his once-trusted comrade.

"What did you just say?"

If Chad had any fear at the moment, he was one hell of an actor. Putting up a brave front, the afro-haired boy replied, "you heard me. That scheming skank has changed you and you don't even know it. She's turned you against us, and she's just going to use you for her selfish motives."

"No, she's not, Chad," Troy retorted through gritted teeth, resisting the urge to land a punch on the guy. "Why don't you just shut up, alright?"

"Why are you so blind not to see what's really in front of you?" Chad went on heatedly, obviously not going to back down until he had gotten his point across. "I'm just watching your back—as a friend."

Troy smirked. "As a friend? Let me tell you something, Chad. I've taken off the training wheels weeks ago and I've realised that Sharpay isn't who everybody thinks she is, and it's not up to you or anyone else to judge her like that."

"She's a fucking whore, Troy."

"You're such a bastard, Danforth. Sharpay is the sweetest girl I know who puts others before herself. She's compassionate and kind, and helps the children in an orphanage at least once a week."

"Look, I know she probably worships the ground you walk on, lick your shoes and coat you with sugary sweet icings, but I'm sure that it's all just an act to get you wrapped around her finger, so that when the time comes, she'll have you serving her like a love-sick puppy."

"Screw you," Troy shot back. "I don't have time for this."

And without another word he stormed off towards the direction of the office and came to a room down the hallway. He noticed from the clock hanging above the door that he had exactly ten minutes left till lunch period ended. Through the translucent glass porthole, he could see a shadow walking past and decided that he couldn't afford to waste anymore time. Although Troy was still pretty hot and bothered by his encounter with Chad, he quickly pushed it all aside.

_This is it, Bolton,_ he silently coached himself. _This is your only chance. Don't blow it._

Troy took a final breath for added courage, and then knocked on the door.

* * *

**Your actions will speak louder than you.**

Ryan Evans stepped out of the shadows from where he stood hidden behind a pillar, his eyes dark and uncertain. The mixed feelings that were brewing in the pits of his stomach churned like bubbling potion. Mysterious yet intriguing. What were the odds of him witnessing two of East High's leading lads tongue battling over the one person he had least expected—his twin sister?

_I'd have better chances scraping out gum under the cafeteria tables_, he thought, sneering.

Even though Ryan had heard everything clearly and perfectly, he was still finding it extremely hard to believe. Maybe he'd made a mistake—what with Chad's terrible enunciation with his words, every now and then slurring his sentences as though it was a chore to open his mouth and move his teeth—but somehow Ryan knew that whatever it was that those two idiots were arguing about, Troy had been defending Sharpay and admitting one of her deepest secrets to the school's big-time doofus.

_That son of a bitch!_

Suddenly, Ryan felt a surge of brotherly protectiveness over his sister's privacy. He respected Sharpay's personal space and couldn't help but regret prying on her issues. It was obvious now, what Sharpay had told him about Troy helping out with the orphanage had been true, no matter how unthinkable it was—unless the psycho had stalked her all this time without her knowing, which was unlikely since he'd sent her home before. There was an instant stab of guilt, realizing how brutally he'd accused his sister that night. He hadn't even spared a bit of trust or given her the tiniest bit of doubt. Knowing just how much Sharpay hated lying to him, the least he could've done was try to look at things in her point of view.

However, in Ryan's defence though, it wasn't entirely his fault. That sister of his had been shutting him out of her life and keeping absolutely mum about things that mattered most to him. Was it so wrong that he'd been concerned? At that point of time, it seemed as though she hadn't believed him enough to care and be there for her. He had been blinded by anger, disappointment and betrayal.

**'Cause I don't care what you say or what you do,  
You can't take back what you've put me through.  
Your actions will speak louder than you.**

It pained him whenever he thought that Sharpay would rather trust Troy Bolton than her twin brother—her very own flesh and blood. He couldn't help but wonder what she seriously saw in that boy—and how pathetically sickening it was that his sister was still carrying a torch for that perverted asshole after all that he'd done to her.

_Did she forget all those times? All those miserable times he'd made her crumble and cry, leaving me to pick up the pieces?_

But knowing Sharpay, she wasn't that stupid as to completely surrender herself into the arms of some hormonal-imbalanced basketball player—no matter how perfect his dribble was or how smooth his lay-up seemed—or so she claimed.

_So why is it that she had so invitingly accepted that creature into her life?_

Ryan stood there pondering over it for quite some time—given the complication in the situation. He grew suspicious with every passing second. He knew that something was going on, he was sure of it but he didn't know exactly what it was yet.

_What possibly could've happened between them?_ he asked himself over and over again.

Something titanic must've happened or she wouldn't even be entrusting Troy _Loverboy_ Bolton with such a major part of her life—one that she'd kept so well under wraps from everyone else. She'd been so protective about that shielded side of her to the point where she'd probably rip out a guy's jugulars if he'd so much as to probe about her hobbies, which in any prospect she didn't have any—except for singing, acting and dancing—the only things of her that she offered to the world.

_That's why she's the Ice Queen of East High._

Numerous hopeful souls had tried—and failed miserably—to melt the icy demeanor and break down the concrete walls around her heart, where deep inside lies vulnerability and perpetual love—one he'd only seen whenever she was with the children in the orphanage.

Somehow, Troy had succeeded.

_Time to pop open some champagne and celebrate_, Ryan thought sarcastically.

Just as he was about to imagine grinding Mr. Charismatic into dust, he suddenly remembered the oath that Sharpay had made him swear upon back when she first started volunteering at the orphanage. She had made him promise that no matter what happened, neither of them would ever mention anything about it to anybody. Ryan didn't need to know the reason why she was hiding herself from the world. He understood it perfectly.

Ryan narrowed his eyes, cocking his head to one side.

_But didn't he just blurt everything out to that afro-disiac?_

As devious as it sounded, Ryan found himself smirking at the realization. He'd found a major flaw—a serious fault—which seemed to prove that Troy wasn't all the saint that his sister thought he was. Maybe he had an alternative plan, a fatal plot to completely bring her down.

_Maybe he just wants to get a fuck out of her, that thieving little scumbag._

Ryan's face flopped to a deep frown, his forehead creased as unpleasant thoughts of the jerk named Troy Bolton raced through his clouded mind. He'd heard of rumours going around that the school's precious basketball captain had done some dirty deeds at the party some time ago—and they revolved around his sister. It made sense now why he'd broken up with the Little Miss Perfectly Annoying Gabriella Montez.

_He probably couldn't get enough of Sharpay that night, and now he wants more_, he deduced.

Even though theoretically it was disturbing to be looking at his own twin sister like that, but he couldn't deny that whether or not she's family, Sharpay was the textbook definition of 'hot'. He'd noticed how boys in school were constantly drooling over her, and even though they wouldn't admit it out loud, they'd all clandestinely wished for just want chance with her—even the hypocritical Chad Danforth.

_I have to go find Sharpay._

Right at that moment, the school bell rang to signal the end of lunch period. Ryan glanced down at his expensive wrist watch and spat out a curse. Grumbling, he lifted his leather bag from the floor and hoisted it over one shoulder.

_Looks like I'll just have to wait till after school then._

* * *

School ended ten minutes ago. Sharpay twirled the combination of her locker, humming a tune that had been stuck in her head since Spanish class. But just as the door sprung open and a small piece of paper fluttered out and landed on the floor, she stopped. She glanced down at it and then narrowed her pretty brown eyes. Even before doing anything, she could already guess who the sender was.

With a huff, the blonde gracefully bent down to retrieve the note and nevertheless read its contents.

_Sharpay,_

_I really need to talk to you._

_Meet me after school in the auditorium._

_Will be waiting for you._

_Troy B._

She blew out an exasperated sigh before crushing the paper and chucking it into her locker—along with the other countless notes that she'd received from him that day.

_Great!_ Sharpay thought with faux enthusiasm. _One more to add to the pile of rubbish!_

Rolling her hazel eyes, she wondered when that boy was going to learn to give up, and what it would take to get him out of her hair. Troy had been spamming her with notes even from before third period—and they didn't have any classes together till homeroom, which was the eighth period. She'd come into class and find a post-it note sitting nicely on her desk just waiting to be read. And on every note was Troy's handwriting telling her over and over again to meet him. Sure, he'd made his point across—rather perfectly, in fact—but that didn't mean _she_ was going to follow it.

_I have better things to do than entertain his so-called comedy._

**So show me that you really figured it out.  
And show me everything that you are about.  
But if you can't then just shut your mouth**

Sharpay smirked and fished out a strawberry-flavoured lip gloss from the posh designer handbag that she had hung on the crook of her elbow. Effortlessly—as though she could do it in her sleep—she applied a layer of coating over her luscious pouting lips. With that done, she tossed the lip gloss back into her locker, pulled out a hot pink file from inside and shut the door.

Keeping her eyes straight forward, she sped-walked down the empty hallway and prayed that she wouldn't bump into a certain basketball player on the way as she headed towards the office. She was blatantly avoiding him, and she knew sooner or later she'd have to face him. At the moment, though, _later_ sounded better.

"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked Sharpay monotonously when she came through the door, not even bothering to look up and acknowledge her presence.

_Keep that up, lady, and you're going to die lonely and bitter with twenty-seven cats._

Sharpay tried to stifle her snicker. "Yeah, I'd like to see Mrs. Darbus please. Is she in?" she requested, being as sweet as possible.

"First door to—"

"Thanks," Sharpay interrupted, flashing an extra-large mega-watt smile before heading for the room which she'd already been in so many times before. Mrs. Darbus had two rooms for herself because she insisted she needed an extra one for 'creative purposes'. Her room in the office was merely for schoolwork that she didn't want to bring home to finish.

Sharpay came upon the signature bright purple door, decorated with a poster of broadway's 'Cats' and plenty of photos of previous productions in East High—including a few with Sharpay in them. The blonde squared her shoulders, and then gave a light tapping knock on the door.

"Come in," a voice called out from inside.

Turning the knob, Sharpay popped her head in to see Mrs. Darbus sitting at her desk marking some papers. "Hi, Mrs. Darbus," she said.

The bespectacled teacher glanced up and broke into a warm and inviting grin. "Oh, Sharpay! Come on it, darling."

Sharpay stepped into the room and closed the door behind her, walking across the room.

Mrs. Darbus interlaced her fingers and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "What can I do for you today, Shar?" she inquired with interest.

"I've just finished on the last song for the play," she burbled excitedly, handing over the folder in her hand. "Here it is."

"That's wonderful!" Mrs. Darbus told her, flipping through the pages of the score sheet, sincerely impressed. "This looks brilliant with a capital 'b', Sharpay, and I'm sure it sounds magnificent! I'll give a copy to Kelsi and get the music arranged as soon as possible. We'll need to meet again to finalise the script and the songs before we start on our auditions."

"Perfect!" Sharpay clasped her hands together. "So it's settled then, right?"

Mrs. Darbus half-shrugged with an uncertain pout on her face. "Well, there's something I need to talk to you about," Mrs Darbus told her as she took off her glasses and hung it around her neck. Her tone became serious. "You might want to take a seat."

Sharpay tilted her head curiously, unsure of what to expect. Hesitantly, she pulled the swivel chair out and sat down. "What is it, Mrs. Darbus?"

As though sensing her anxiety, the drama teacher offered a small reassuring smile. "Troy Bolton came to see me during lunch," she began with a slight teasing glint in her eyes.

"Troy Bolton?" Sharpay practically shrieked, her face turning sour.

Mrs. Darbus raised her eyebrows at the blonde's reaction. "Yes…"

_Uh-oh_, Sharpay thought. _What is it he wants this time?_

"Er…and…?" she prodded.

"He mentioned about a certain organization—an orphanage, it seems, and he claimed that you've been volunteering there for quite some time." There was a certain extent of amusement in her voice as she spoke, as though she was finding it hard to believe.

Sharpay stiffened._ This is exactly what I'm afraid of. Let the boy into my life for just a little bit and he tells the whole world about my secret._

"I'm not sure how true it is but—"

"Zashley orphanage?" Sharpay cut in.

It stunned Mrs. Darbus for approximately three seconds before she snapped back to the present. "Well, yes, I suppose that's—how'd you—"

_Is it so hard?_ she wondered, frowning.

"Oh." Realisation must've dawned on Mrs. Darbus because she looked sheepish. "I just didn't—"

"It's fine," Sharpay said with a sigh.

"Though I have to say, Sharpay, that I'm pleasantly surprised," she added. "I wasn't expecting—I mean, I thought Troy was playing a practical joke on me, you know." Mrs Darbus cleared her throat and let out a nervous laugh, putting her glasses back on.

Sharpay didn't know how to respond to that, so she just provided her teacher with a lopsided smile. She figured that it was best—to save them both from further embarrassment. Obviously, Mrs. Darbus hadn't known how to handle such a situation, given the odds of it, and Sharpay didn't blame her for it. If anybody were to tell her that the school's biggest bitch was helping out in a charity organization, she would probably have rolled over in laughter. It was like putting two extremes together.

However, she was inquisitive about Troy Bolton and what he'd told Mrs. Darbus. If it really was regarding the orphanage, Sharpay could already roughly deduce what was in store for her. Their previous discussions and plans were still fresh in her mind, though the details were still rather vague. It was just that she hadn't anticipated that he'd actually do something about it. She had been furious with him—certain that he'd been playing with her feelings all these while and simply putting up a front to impress her.

_Maybe…maybe I was wrong._

"Well, now—" Mrs. Darbus seemed to be struggling to find the right words to say, and Sharpay thought she ought to just put her out of her misery.

_I'd better help her with this._

"So, what is it that Troy Bolton mentioned about the orphanage?"

**What you say will be forgotten someday.  
What you do will be remembered.  
Empty promises all fade away.  
What you keep will last forever.**

* * *

**A/N: **Well, this update is a bit longer than the previous chapter, so I hope it makes up for the time I've spent on it. I can't say I'm ending this chapter in a cliffhanger, but I guess certain things aren't settled yet—like Chad and Ryan—but I'm sure that most of you can roughly guess what's going to happen next for Troy and Sharpay.

**Voldy'sGoneMoldy****:** Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Yeah, well…in this story, I admit she can be so difficult to deal with, but that's her character, and she's confused…so sometimes people tend to make irrational decisions. Hehe…I hope you like this update!

**xXchanny-zashleyXx:** Thanks a lot! Hope you've enjoyed reading this chapter!

**Pmillerx23:** I am flattered! Thank you so much! I know I don't update often, and mostly it's due to my hectic schedule in school and dance rehearsals for an upcoming concert. I am really sorry to keep everyone waiting and in suspense. I am grateful and honoured that people are still reading this and reviewing, and supporting me all the way. As an author, that's the best accomplishment he/she can have—faithful readers.

**Stessa:** Hi girl! Aww…thanks a bunch! I'm glad that you've enjoyed the previous chapter. It's quite a relief, you know, because most of the time I'm not quite sure how people would react to the chapter, and I tend to get a little worried too…hehe…hope you've liked this update!

**LoveIsLost29:** Hi! Thank you so much! I'm so sorry to keep you waiting, but hopefully this chapter is good enough. I mean, it's not my best though, but at some point of time the story has a side where it's not all dramatic, so I apologise in advance if you find it a tad bit dry. I like how Sharpay can stand up to others, like Gabriella, but when it comes to Troy, she's just isn't as tough as everybody thinks she is. She becomes more honest and innocent. Haha…

**troypay-zashley-4ever:** I really dislike Gabriella as well. I've always liked to think of her as a hypocrite because she's just too freaking perfect in the show, and it's just so annoying! Troy's trying really hard to let Sharpay accept him in her life, but he's getting worried that if he doesn't do anything fast, she'll totally slip away from him. It's true though that she's trying to deny her feelings for him because she's scared about a lot of things. Can't say that I blame Ryan for being overprotective because he's been the most important person in Sharpay's life since forever, and suddenly she doesn't tell him anything, and he gets suspicious. He really wants to know the truth but then it so happened that the truth isn't what he wanted to hear, and that's where the arguments always comes in. Thanks for the review! Hope you've enjoyed this chapter!

**KeptxoxPromises:** Wow! Thank you so much! I don't know where to begin actually…I'm blushing from all the wonderful comments! Firstly, I want to thank you for taking time and effort to leave such a long review! And it's so nicely organized in point form as well! I'm incredibly touched…A Walk to Remember is simply astounding. I've watched it countless times and I've never once gotten bored with it. I thought Mandy Moore did justice to the character as well. The children actually play a really important role in this story, although it's sort of indirect. It's a common ground for both Troy and Sharpay—and it's like their little secret, and they're living in their own world where nobody knows anything. It's with the children that the two main characters can truly be themselves. About the songs, I try to listen to a wide variety of genres, and when I'm stuck and can't find a song, I'd go ask around. I'm glad you've liked the story so far. I hope you've enjoyed reading this update!

**xForeverTroypay:** Haha…you sure feel really strongly about Gabriella, and I guess that's a good thing. It means I've accomplished something—and that's creating a reaction. Oh dear, you don't need to beg me, sweetie. No matter what, I'll try to finish this story up—unless something bad happens to me…I seriously hope not! I'm so sorry for the wait! Here's an update for you! Tell me what you think, yeah?

**Brewk:** You're very welcome! And thank you for reviewing my previous chapter! Hope you like this one :D

**The Summer Breeze:** No way! I would never forget about this story! I've made it my personal goal to complete it at all costs! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**journeyfan4life:** Haha…thanks a lot!

**Clotisy:** Hi girl! I know…Gabriella's beginning to reveal the truly ugly side of her, and yes, it's really scary at some point of time. I agree with you—who knows what she might do next? Your analysis on her is so spot on! Well, from this chapter, I think you might have already guess what's in store for Troy and Sharpay, but given how you're so quick to pick out Gabriella's weaknesses, I think you can figure out the amount of drama involved in the future. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Hope you like this update!

The line "taken off the training wheels" is partially taken from the movie **"Picture This!"** starring the lovely Ashley Tisdale. I so love this movie, it's awesome! Go watch it if you haven't!  
The line "so-called comedy" is taken from **The O.C.**

Song used — "Don't Tell Me" by Hoobastank


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **Please, please don't kill me for not updating for so long! I was spending all my time slaving my butts out with my final-year project. It's finally out of the way now…phew! So I guess I would probably be able to update more often now…hopefully. Anyways, I am so sorry for keeping you guys—my faithful readers—on the edge practically forever! I hope this update makes up for all the lost time…

Enjoy!

xXx  
Ceruleanblues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 16**

Sharpay balanced five stacked-up boxes of large pizzas in one hand while cradling a paper bag full of groceries in another, then closed the door of her convertible with a nudge of her hip before pressing on a button to lock it. She slid the key into the front pocket of her jeans, adjusted the items in her arms and excitedly bounded up the small flight of stairs into the old building of Zashley Orphanage.

From the lobby, she could already hear the children's screams and laughter. Instantly her face lit up with a warm smile—one that she got every time she was there. Sharpay rejoiced in the coziness of the place, the scent of baby soap mixed with the parquet flooring, and how just listening to the voices of little kids could eliminate all the stress she'd been accumulating since that morning. Being with the toddlers was a much-needed breath of fresh air. This is where she felt she truly belonged.

Sharpay stood there for a moment, taking in the surroundings, noticing how the paint had faded and the walls had cracked in a thousand places.

_This definitely isn't a place for children to live in. _

Too many times she'd imagined refurnishing and redecorating the orphanage to give it a new lease of life. There'd be curtains, framed-up paintings and colourful rugs—and sufficient toys and books to create the perfect home that the children had always dreamt of. And for the first time since she'd been there, Sharpay was truly contented for them.

_Their dreams are coming true,_ she thought as a tear trailed down her cheek. She couldn't wait to tell Carmen and the kids the good news. _They'd be so happy!_

Still grinning, she quickly headed up the staircase to the second floor and went straight to the kitchen to put the things down. They were rather heavy and her arms were growing tired. Carefully, she set the bag of groceries down on the countertop—reminding herself to put those away later before she went home—and then laid out the boxes of pizza on the table. She half-skipped over to the cupboard where all the eating utensils were kept and took out what was necessary—plates and cups—and placed them on the table. Hands akimbo, Sharpay studied all the stuff on the table, mentally ticking out the items.

_Pizzas, check. Plates, check. Cups, check._

"Oh! Drinks," she thought aloud, fishing out four cartons of orange juice from the refrigerator before putting them down on the table. "There! All set," she announced with a satisfied grin. "Better go call those little Tasmanian devils before the pizzas get cold."

But first, she needed to let Carmen know that she was there—and mention the awesome news to her. Sharpay raced out of the dining room and sped down the narrow hallway, turning into a small but cozy office—where Carmen would usually spend half of her time settling the paperwork—only to find it empty. There were scrunched-up papers and files thrown carelessly everywhere. Carmen was typically a neat freak when it came to cleanliness in the orphanage. She would make sure the bathrooms were scrubbed and that there weren't dust mites or termites—considering how ancient the building was—or bedbugs and mosquito breeding grounds. The orphanage usually had people come over and inspect the place, making sure that there weren't any fungus or disease-causing organisms. She always disinfects the toys at least 3 times a week to prevent germs and sorts. However, when it came to her office, it looked as though a tornado was its permanent resident.

_It just showed how much she truly liked doing paperwork—not!_ Sharpay giggled. _Oh well, if she's not here then maybe she's with the kids._

She dashed out of the small office over to the main room, hardly able to contain her excitement any longer. The joyful squeals and laughter of the children grew louder with each step she took, her platform sandals making running a tad bit difficult—and a tad bit noisy as they made slight thumping sounds on the floor.

"Carmen!" she called out, flying into the room.

"Hey, Shar."

Sharpay froze. Her mega-watt smile instantly sunk to a disapproving frown as she glared disbelievingly at the person grinning ridiculously back at her. The butterflies that were once fluttering in her stomach disappeared in a blink of an eye, replaced by slimy disgust. Suddenly, the room grew silent—as though the children had sensed the tension that overcame the place.

"You!" she growled.

**Sometimes I feel like I'm going out of my mind,  
****Boy the way you do me is a damn crime,|  
****But then you smile at me and it's alright,  
****With you there ain't no in between.**

Troy Bolton, who was carrying Josh in his arms, gently placed the toddler down onto his feet. The charismatic and rather genuine grin never faltered from his surprised expression. When he glanced back up to meet her eyes, she had planted her hands on her hips and was scowling at him, demanding an immediate explanation. Sharpay could feel all the tiny innocent eyes attentively glued on her and the basketball captain, as though the children were watching some kind of animated movie.

"Hi?" he tried, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his pants.

"Didn't I tell you to stay out of my life?"

"Erm—" he began, slightly flustered.

"What are you doing here?" she snapped, jabbing a manicured finger on his chest at every syllable.

Troy pulled one hand out to rub the nape of his neck while an embarrassed laugh escaped his lips. "Would you believe me if I told you I was in the neighbourhood?"

"No."

"I didn't think so," he admitted. Then, taking a breath, he said, "I came here to spend some time with the kids." Sharpay shot him an incredulous look, which, he probably had seen that coming and ought to be intimidated, but instead he took a step towards her. The slight movement caused her to blink, though his cerulean blue eyes didn't once leave her hazel ones. Even that, she wasn't the least bit fazed.

**Everytime that I walk out the door,  
****I tell myself I can't take it no more.**

_That's not going to fool me._

Arching one eyebrow, she murmured, "really?"

"I'm not lying to you, Shar," Troy persisted.

"I told you to stop calling me that, _Bolton_," she spat out venomously and he sighed.

**There's a part of me won't let you go,  
****I keep sayin' yes when my mind's sayin' no.**

"The last time we came here, it was amazing, and I'd wanted to thank you for that ever since, but I didn't get the chance. I hadn't known what to expect when I first came in because—" he paused to shrug his shoulder. "I'd never really dealt with kids before. But then you showed me just how easy it could be, and without knowing it, I was having so much fun. It's like suddenly, all of my troubles have disappeared, and then I realize why you love it so much here. I saw how much this orphanage means to you, and I wanted to be a part of it but you—"

"Can we continue with this, later?" Sharpay interrupted him, her voice cracking. She didn't know why, but all of a sudden, she was slightly breathless.

"What—why?"

She ignored him and faced the children, who were still conscientiously witnessing their rather dramatic exchange. Breaking into a warm smile, she told them, "Well, 'cause I've got tons of pizza waiting in the dining hall and I think it's getting cold. I wonder who's going to help me finish it all."

Tiny hands shot up immediately, all eager and excited. After all, pizza was a rarity in the orphanage. Carmen had to make sure that the children were eating healthily, which meant that anything deep fried or chocolaty were reserved for the weekends—or whenever Sharpay came over, but she also knew better than to keep spoiling the kids with junk food, so she made sure that she didn't always arm herself with M&Ms or potato chips each time she was there.

"Okay, then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Sharpay cheered, directing the traffic as the little ones flooded out of the door towards the dining hall. It didn't take long to get them all out of the room—where food is concern—except for a certain blonde girl who lingered behind.

"Hi, Shar!"

"Lily!" Sharpay cried out joyfully, bending down to give her a tight hug. "Aww…how are you, sweetie?"

"I'm fine, Shar," Lily replied when she pulled away, and instantly the older girl sensed something wrong. The usual giddy gleam in those green almond-shaped eyes weren't there, but was replaced by a tiny speck of concern. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yup, much better!" Sharpay replied chirpily. "Thanks for asking, Lils."

Lily didn't seem satisfied with that answer, though. "You sure?" she asked again, cautiously.

Sharpay nodded as convincingly as possible before enveloping the little girl in a reassuring hug. "Sure, I'm sure. You don't have to worry about anything, all right?" Still wrapped in the older girl's arms, Lily bopped her head up and down. "Now, why don't you scoot along and go grab the pizza before they're all gone? I'll be there in a sec."

"Okay."

Sharpay watched her skip out of the room till she was no longer in sight, more so to buy time thinking of how she was going to face Troy now that they were alone together—in private. It wasn't the best of situations, or rather it was absolutely the wrong time and place, but at the moment, she totally despised him for putting her in such a position. She could feel his warm presence looming behind her, patiently waiting for something—anything to happen. Perhaps he was expecting her to turn around and scream into his face.

**Me and my heart we got issues,  
****Don't know if I should hate you or miss you.**

_No, that would totally ruin my mood,_ she thought. _And I'm not going to let that happen—not today._

And so with a deep breath, her back still facing him, Sharpay took a step forward—only to be pulled back by a firm tug on her wrist.

"You weren't feeling well?"

The lull of his voice—the smooth concern that it held—captured her attention at last. Troy gave her wrist a gentle squeeze and reluctantly she faced his undeniably handsome face. Sharpay was getting irritated and she wasn't going to hide it any longer.

**Damn I wish that I could resist you,  
****Can't decide if I should slap you or kiss you  
****Me and my heart we got issues.**

"I had a slight cold the last time I was here," she lied.

Troy's forehead creased as his eyebrows knotted together. "No, you didn't. You were with me and as I recalled, you were perfectly fine."

"What are you—my shrink?" Sharpay lashed out.

He blinked in utter shock. "You have a shrink?"

"Damnit, Bolton! What do you want from me?"

Troy was caught off guard by her sudden outburst. "I—er—I'm—"

Sharpay yanked her hand free from his grasp. "Why can't you just fucking get out of my life? You never once gave a rat's ass about me, so why now? Why the sudden interest? Did this start because of a stupid one night stand that I can't even remember? Were your hormones yelling out to be satisfied? Was this the ultimate reason you're even giving me the time of day—just for another mindless _sexpedition_?"

Troy's expression turned from guilty to confused, and then shifted on to slightly offended. "What—Shar—I—"

"You're pathetic, you know that?" she simply continued. "You stalked me for God knows how long, invaded my privacy, then jacked my car, made me the damsel in distress, invaded my life, broke up with your freakish sad excuse for a girlfriend to humiliate me, told the teacher one of my deepest secrets and even after all that, you wouldn't leave me alone—all that for another round of sex? Are you _that_ desperate?"

"It's not that Shar—"

"You lied to me!"

He tried to reach out for her again, "I didn't mean to—"

"Here's a memo, Bolton," she cut in bitterly. "I'm _never_ going to sleep with you ever again, so buzz off!"

"Well, thank you for the delayed notice. I'll be sure to keep that in mind the next time I _lie_ to you about our little sex tour down the red-light district."

**It's awful, boy you leave me hangin' for so long,  
****You empty out my love until it's all gone,  
****You change the words but still is the same song,  
****I'm tired of the melody.**

His heated words came out like vermin to her bloodstream—paralyzing her limbs and accelerating her heartbeat. The molten brown eyes shot up to meet the twin pools of oceanic orbs. They were neither a calming blue nor were they the joyful shade of turquoise, which she had grown to be rather fond of in times she had needed to search for her halcyon times. Those intense pair of eyes that were staring back at her only shed exhaustion, frustration, hurt and despair.

But above all that, ghosting above like silk laces of foam against the shore, was that of truth.

**I keep building the walls round my heart,  
****But then I see you and it all falls apart.**

Still reeling from his sentence, Sharpay barely managed to breathed out, "what?"

Troy took a hasty step towards her, his lips pursed in a tight line and brought his nose an inch away from hers. "It's true, Shar. I've lied to you before, but all I've ever lied about was having sex with you the night of the party."

"So—so, what are you saying? That—"

"We never had sex, Shar, and I'm not going to lie about it now that I wish we had." There was a hint of agony in the strain in his voice, and he reached up to rake his shaggy hair with his fingers. "God, you should've seen the way you looked that night! You were wearing that incredible red dress that just hung on you like magic, and you had these amazing pair of legs—Shar, you were freaking _gorgeous_! Any guy in that room would be crazy not to be drooling over you. Heck, you could turn a gay man straight with the way you were."

_Fuck you! Why are you doing this to me?_

Sharpay wasn't even aware that her mouth was open till her throat began to feel raspy. Troy was practically babbling rubbish, but it felt like some kind of a weird dream that she had yet to wake up from. It could've been one of those cheesy scenes from a really bad musical, though somehow she was simply entranced in disbelief. Syllable after syllable were pouring into her ears but it was taking a lot longer to process every bit of information.

**Me and my heart we got issues,  
****Don't know if I should hate you or miss you.  
****Damn I wish that I could resist you,  
****Can't decide if I should slap you or kiss you  
****Me and my heart we got issues.**

"Troy, stop it. I don't want to hear any—"

"Before I knew it, we were dancing together amongst all the people, and even though Gabriella was my girlfriend, I wasn't thinking about her," Troy went on, his gaze never left hers. "All I could think of was the way you were grinding up to me, and it just felt so good. Someone must've spiked the punch because you became drunk—almost wasted—and then you dragged me up to an empty room. I didn't know what was going on, but then we started making out. Sharpay, you have no idea how heavenly it felt to me. You were driving me crazy! Your lips…your fuckingly delicious lips…"

He trailed off for a while, reminiscing—just reliving—the moment. "But nothing else happened. I swear to you, Shar, that's all. We just made out. That's it. We didn't have sex. In fact, you passed out in the middle of it and I drove you home. You regained some consciousness in the car, and I helped you to your door. After you got in safe, I made a trip back to the party. I had to send Gabriella home anyways or she'll throw a fit."

It was too much for Sharpay to take at the moment. She held up both her hands to stop his speech-long confession—if it even was a confession to begin with. For all she knew, Troy could be spinning up a tale as he went along with what's left of his tiny figment of imagination.

"Then why did you lie to me?" she demanded, feeling the tears mounting up behind her eyes. "Why did you toy with my feelings, Troy? Why? Was it some kind of a sick pleasure? Did you think that just because I couldn't remember anything that night, you could manipulate me into giving you what you wanted?"

"Yes, Sharpay, you're right!" He burst out admitting. "You're spot on with that accusation. I'm guilty of that crime—of lying to you to get what I wanted."

"You're despicable!" she spat out to his face.

Sharpay spun around to leave, but Troy just wouldn't allow that. He yanked on her arm and brought them close—if it was even possible, closer than before. Startled by his sudden near-violence, she gasped at the collision of their bodies and glanced up at him with wide eyes. The basketball captain must've sensed her fear and distress because his expression softened instantly and he loosened his vise-like grip.

"You have every right to say whatever you want to me. I'm not even going to blame you for hating me, but I want you to know the truth," he spoke quietly.

"Sharpay? Troy?"

Both teenagers whipped their heads in the direction of the voice.

Carmen Zashley stood by the doorway with a questioning tilt of her head. She had her hands full with a bag of groceries cradled in one arm and a stack of paper and files in another. The old faux leather purse that she had slung over her shoulder slid down to hang on the crook of her elbow.

"Carmen!" Sharpay said, taking a jump back from Troy and folding her arms across her chest. "I—I just came to drop off some pizza for the kids, and I wanted to talk to you, but when I arrived Troy was already here and—"

"Don't worry about it, Shar," Carmen assured her with a warm smile. "He came over earlier, and he was having so much fun with the kids, I left him in charge of them while I went to the bank to settle some financial matters."

Sharpay narrowed her eyes at the guy standing in front of her. "Oh…I see."

Troy cleared his throat, trying to eliminate the awkwardness under her scrutiny. "So Carmen, how'd it go? Did they manage to grant you that loan?"

The older woman groaned dramatically, rolling her eyes. "The lady was being so difficult about it," she explained, half-whining as she began heading down the corridor towards her office. "I couldn't get a word in edgeways."

Sharpay winced slightly. "She didn't approve of the loan?" she asked, lifting the paper bag from Carmen's arm.

"Thanks, Shar," Carmen said gratefully. "Well, I did manage to get a loan but it won't cover much—just enough for the next two months or so—and then I'd have to either pay them up in installments—which includes interest of course—which would probably account to paying twice as much as I'd loaned for, and you already know how short of funds we are here in the orphanage—"

"Troy," Sharpay interrupted, shoving the bag of groceries into the lad's unsuspecting arms. "Would you be ever so kind to take these into the kitchen and check on the kids for us, please?"

"Um, well—"

"Thanks a lot, you're a sweetheart," she dismissed him absentmindedly without bothering to glance over even after she'd heard him sigh in defeat.

"He's really nice, Shar. You've got quite a good catch there. Pretty decent," Carmen informed her, casually wagging her eyebrows in the direction Troy went. "I'll say he's not even half as bad as those punks on the streets."

Sharpay scoffed at the remark. "You don't know the other half of him yet."

Carmen playfully nudged the blonde girl's side. "Oh, come on, Shar. He really likes you, I can tell. I mean, how many guys out there would actually give up their time helping out at an orphanage instead of lazing their butts at home playing video games?"

"One," Sharpay answered monotonously as they entered the office. "Ryan."

"He's your brother so he doesn't count," Carmen smirked, shaking her head. She dropped all of her files onto the desk and sunk herself down onto the swivel chair. "By the way, does he know about your new boyfriend?"

Sharpay flung her hands up in the air. "He's _not_ my boyfriend, Car!"

"Not yet," she countered with a knowing grin.

"Oh my God, Carmen Zashley. Could you lay it off already? I swear if you—"

Carmen laughed heartily, raising her palms up in surrender. "Alright, alright, I get it," she said. "No more trying to convince you that Troy Bolton's in _love_ with you," she teased and quickly dodged a flying wad of paper, chuckling all the way.

Sharpay grumbled childishly and propped herself on the edge of the table where it wasn't littered with pieces of paper. "Listen, Car. I think I have something that might help the orphanage out a little."

"Really?" That seemed to perk the other woman up. "What is it?"

Sharpay took a deep breath, getting excited all over again. "Well, East High's having our annual musical, and this year it's going to be 'A Walk to Remember'. You remember that movie, right? That said, I think the show's going to be sold out for 3 nights—or more—and I know a lot of people are going to be there. Here's the deal: I've talked this out with Mrs. Darbus—my drama teacher—and she has agreed on turning the musical into a fund-raising event for the orphanage!"

"Oh. My. God!" Carmen exclaimed, springing up to her feet as she cupped her mouth with her hands. "Are you serious, Shar?"

"Absolutely! I've gone through with her about sponsorships as well, and she said it was a great idea. That way, we could pump our initial budget towards increasing our publicity, and better sets and costumes for the show. All the money that we make would be donated to Zashley Orphanage with no conditions."

"I can't believe this, Shar! I don't know what to say!" Carmen beamed, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "This is just so wonderful! This is great! You're amazing! I just—I can't wait to tell the kids and see how happy they'll be—oh, thank you so much, Sharpay!" She held her arms out to envelope the blonde girl in an appreciative hug.

"You know, it was Troy's idea actually."

"Troy? He thought of this?" Carmen wondered out loud.

Sharpay nodded her head. "Uh-huh."

"Wow, Shar. He really _is_ in love with you!"

"I wouldn't bet on that, Carmen."

* * *

**I'm so scared that you will see  
****All the weakness inside of me  
****I'm so scared of letting go  
****That the pain I fell will show**

Troy was watching her again—probably for the umpteenth time since she'd returned from Carmen's office. The blonde beauty he'd been staring at was giggling as she cleaned off a trail of cheese that hung from one of the toddler's mouth. Troy chuckled to himself at the adorable scene unfolding, the sight still unfamiliar to him.

He was about to take a bite of his own slice of pizza when he felt a slight tug on his pants, and glanced down to find Josh looking up at him with wide interested eyes as he drank from his juice box. Troy bent down to the little boy's level.

"What's up, kiddo?" he asked.

"Are you wooking at Paypay again?" It seemed like a harmless statement—not much of a question really—more so an observation of a child.

Troy laughed softly and ruffled the little tyke's blonde hair, wondering if he was _that_ transparent. "Yeah," he admitted, not bothering to hide anything else.

"Paypay is weally pwetty," Josh said.

"She is, isn't she?" Troy agreed and bit off a chunk of pizza.

"Do you wike her?"

Troy took a moment to ponder on the answer as he reverted his gaze back to Sharpay. She was passing wet tissue around for the children to clean up, her smile soft and kind as always when she dealt with the orphans. She was a breath-taking portrait of an angel—ethereal yet very much alive—and there was nobody else like her in the world.

**I want you to know  
****You belong I my life  
****I love the hope  
****I see in your eyes  
****For you I would fly  
****At least I would try  
****For you I'll take  
****The last flight out**

"I love her," he replied in a whisper.

Suddenly, as though Sharpay had heard him, her head snapped up and brown met blue. Troy drew in a sharp intake of air and for a split second, Troy wondered if she's overheard his confession. He searched her face for something—anything—a sign perhaps, but her chocolate eyes held nothing of depth.

_What are you thinking, Shar?_

A spasm of emotion flickered over her stunning features before she blinked and broke the spell.

There was another pull on Troy's slacks, snapping him out of his reverie and turning his attention back to the four-year-old boy.

"I think she woves you too," Josh half-whispered comically.

Troy let out another laugh, shaking his head at the kid's expense. "Come on, buddy. Time to get you cleaned up," he said and took the juice box from Josh's hands. "Hey, Shar! Could you pass the wet wipes over?"

Sharpay didn't even turn to face him as wordlessly she tossed the packet of wet tissue over to the basketball captain. Troy caught it perfectly in the air and then helped the kids around him clean up. He couldn't help but admit that he was thoroughly enjoying himself—being there with all of the children—and most importantly just being in the presence of Sharpay Evans even though she was giving him the cold shoulder. He was just glad that he could lend a hand in any way he could, knowing how much the orphanage meant to a certain blonde.

**I'm afraid that you will leave  
****As my secrets have been revealed**

"There you go! All cleaned up," Troy said with a satisfied grin.

"Thanks, Twoy," Josh cheered, raising one tiny hand up for a high-five. Then, hopping off the chair, he darted out of the dining hall, probably to continue playing in the main room. He was promptly joined by the other children, all eager to resume with whatever it was that they'd been doing before.

Before long, the only ones left in the dining room were the two teenagers. Sharpay was wiping the tables with a cloth while Troy threw the leftover scraps of food, empty pizza boxes and cartons of juice into a big trash bag. They worked in silence, avoiding any form of contact. It seemed that Sharpay was perfectly fine with the arrangement, though the thick awkwardness in the air was suffocating Troy. She was so close, yet she made no attempt at acknowledging or communicating with him.

_This is ridiculous! She wouldn't even look at me, let alone say two words._

After making sure that he hadn't missed anything else, Troy tied the black plastic and cleared his throat. "Erm…I'm going to bring this out back. There's a rubbish dump there, right?"

"You'll need to haul them all the way to the parking lot by the diner and then go down the alley," Sharpay told him flatly.

"Thanks," Troy muttered in return.

**I cannot hold back the truth no more  
****I let you wait too long  
****Although it's hard  
****And scares me so  
****A life without you scares me more**

_That's it. I have to talk to her_, Troy decided as he lugged the trash towards the back door that opened up to an outdoor staircase. The sun was already setting but the street lamps have yet to light up. _But I'm trying all I can. She just wouldn't believe me right now. What does a guy have to do around here?_

However, Troy knew that gaining back Sharpay's trust in him would be one hell of a task. To begin with, he'd already confessed into lying to her—which meant that their so-called twisted friendship cum maybe relationship had already started off as a lie. And that was already the ultimate sin—enough to crush even the strongest of ties. He hadn't thought about it that way. Heck, he didn't even think it would get so out of hand, but everything he'd told her was nothing but the truth.

_Damn, I really screwed up this time_, he thought, crossing the parking lots towards the small diner. _How am I going to make this right again?_

He was in too deep right now—too much in love with Sharpay to let her go. There _had_ to be something that he could do to repair the damage. He'd already figured that if he were to help out more in the orphanage—not that he didn't love it—she would finally believe his sincerity in wanting to be a part of her life. Even after all that, it proved to be insufficient.

Troy tossed the bag of trash into the rubbish dump and made his way back to the orphanage. He'd made up his mind. There was nothing much he could do at the moment but talk to her, and at any cost, he was going to make her listen.

Sharpay was reading a fairy tale to the children—Cinderella—when he returned to the orphanage. They were all sitting on the floor, hanging to every word she was saying although it was a story that they'd pretty much already knew of. Troy didn't want to interrupt, so quietly he tiptoed into the room and joined in the story-telling session.

Instantly, he was mesmerized. Everything about her was flawless, and Troy found himself admiring every single inch of the blonde-haired splendor. Her voice easily captivated each and every soul in the room. There wasn't one person who wasn't listening. It was amazing—how she seemed to transport everybody into a different realm—and nothing else existed but her soothing lull.

**In my dreams you'll always stay  
****Every breathing moment from now**

Troy wasn't even aware of what was happening in the story. He was already drifting away, sucked into his own version of a fairy tale with Sharpay as his princess and a blissful—

"—happily ever after," the blonde teen concluded. "The end."

She flipped the book shut, and the enthusiastic round of applause pulled the basketball captain back to the present. The cheers were just so contagious it brought an automatic grin to his handsome face.

"Alright, so as I've promised, a story before bedtime. So…"

The groans that followed Sharpay's reminder were rather humorous, but nonetheless the children grudgingly went over to their respective beds to get ready for bed. Troy stood up and decided to assist Sharpay with putting away the rest of the toys that were scattered on the ground.

"It's okay, I'll deal with the toys. You get the kids tucked in," he offered.

"Thanks," Sharpay muttered under her breath, and Troy thought he saw a grateful smile ghosting on her lips.

Fifteen minutes later, Troy was done with the toys, and noticed that Sharpay was having a nice chat with Lily. After doing a quick mental calculation, he figured that he could spare a few minutes to say goodbye to Josh while he was still awake, and walked over to the blonde kid.

"Hey, buddy," he spoke, making sure he wouldn't disturb the other children who were already falling asleep.

Josh's face lit up completely. "Hi, Twoy!"

"Listen, I was thinking if you'd be interested in forming a basketball team," he began and rested his butt on the edge of the bed. "You grab a couple of guys and I can be the coach. Then, you know, we can probably have some friendly matches against some other kids from the neighbourhood and stuff. What do you think?"

"Awesome!" Josh yelled a little too loudly, and Troy had to shush him up. The four-year-old giggled apologetically and said, "I wanna pway basketbaw!"

"Cool! It's settled then." From the corner of his eyes, Troy saw Sharpay getting up from Lily's bed and took that as a cue for him to leave as well. "I've got to go now, kiddo, but I promise I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Okay!"

They exchanged a high-five, and then Troy exited the room, where he hurriedly caught up with Sharpay along the corridor.

"Shar, I—"

"Carmen," was all she said.

Troy understood that immediately. He reckoned he too should go say something to Carmen before he left, but he didn't expect for her to wrap him up in a bear hug the moment he stepped into the office and endlessly thanking him. At first he was kind of baffled by the sudden gesture though he tried his best not to show it. The older woman began babbling quite incoherently about stuff he didn't really understand, although he did manage to catch certain words and phrases that added up to 'musical' and 'fund-raising' and 'kids are going to be so happy'.

And then he got it.

His first instinct was to look for Sharpay. He wanted a confirmation on his hunch, but the blonde girl was standing at the far corner of the room—as far away from him as possible—with her hands folded, staring at the ground.

Carmen spent a good twenty minutes going on and on about how truly excited she was, and that she'd be more than willing to lend a hand to the production if they needed any. Troy had lost count on the amount of times he had assured and reassured her on the fund-raising event. All he wanted at the moment was to talk to Sharpay—desperately. He felt that if he held back any longer, he was going to erupt.

Thankfully Sharpay caught on his semi-bored expression and politely excused them out of the room—using schoolwork as a reason, which in any case was partially true.

"Thanks," Troy said graciously when they were trudging down the stairs. "You know, for…back there—"

He got a small grunt in response.

_Well, that's a start, I guess,_ he thought with a sigh.

They stepped out onto the pavement where Sharpay had parked her car underneath an illuminated street lamp and Troy could feel the drop in temperature. It was getting chilly now that the sun had set completely. Troy stood by the pathway and jammed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans to keep them warm. He watched as Sharpay strolled over to the driver's side of her convertible—her cheeks flushing a shade of pink—and got in.

**I want you to know  
****You belong I my life  
****I love the hope  
****I see in your eyes  
****For you I would fly  
****At least I would try  
****For you I'll take  
****The last flight out**

It took a while for Sharpay to notice that he hadn't left the spot yet, and that seemed to spark some curiosity—or maybe human empathy—in her. "You need a ride?" she offered.

Troy shrugged sheepishly. "Well, I—"

"Hop in."

* * *

**A/N:** Details, details…well, all I can say is that I feel my story's filled with too much details, it feels like it's getting nowhere, and crawling along at snail's pace. Gosh, I really hope I'm not boring you guys with this chapter. I guess I'm a little rusty with my grammar and vocabulary, it's making the story seem dull. –Gasp-

**Bl1SSFuln3ss:** Hie gurl! I so miss talking to you (via reviews)! Thank you so much for the compliments! –blush- I try to deliver only the best for Troypay :D You've reviewed me before, honest 'cause I specifically remember replying to your reviews. Hehe…I feel bad for Ryan as well, being left out and stuff…must be hard! Aww…sweetie, it takes practice and tons of reading to get me where I am but even then, I know of writers out there who are phenomenal…they blow my mind away. They're my inspiration to help me grow as a writer! Don't give up, though, yeah? I've read your stories and I think they're great! You have wonderful storylines that just keeps me on the edge of my seat!

**xForeverTroypay:** Hehe…well, you never really thought of Ryan as a hate-able character, don't you? He's just so sweet in HSM! You know how sometimes you take a step forward only to end up having to take 2 steps back? I guess now's the time to use it…hehe…I know I've disappeared for a few months now, but it's not the end until I say it it :P I hope you've enjoyed this chapter!

**LoveIsLost29:** Thank you so much! Hope you like this update!

**Stessa:** Wow…thank you so much! I'm sometimes a perfectionist, it's irritating! But I'm glad that I've managed to make the story seem real and alive. I've got a little tip when I write angst-filled scenes though. When I get stressed with assignments or I get into an argument with my boyfriend, I scribble words down and then I put them together to create a scene :D hehehe…I know this update's overdue for months, but I hope you've enjoyed it either ways!

**Kuropie:** Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm afraid 'soon' just came a little too late…hee…sorry for that!

**Clotisy:** Of all people who had reviewed, you've never failed to crack me up. Seriously girl, sometimes you're an inspiration to my story (have I ever told you that before?). Hahaha…sometimes I wish that we could just eliminate Afroboy and hatboy altogether, but I really enjoy re-writing hatboy's character in this story. Gabriella is and definitely will be receiving sever punishment! I was thinking…gas chamber? Or thrown off a roller coaster? Evil I tell you…pure evil! Hmm…a three-way plot, huh? Not a bad idea…-brain starts gearing up- Thank you so much for the review! Always love them!

**Evane21:** Thank you so much! :D

**Ashfan202:** -blush- Aww…thank you so much!

**Princesssamz:** Thank you so much for the review! Hope you like this chapter as well!

Song used — "Issues" by The Saturdays and "Last Flight Out" by Plus One


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **Hi guys! I'm really glad that I have people who actually read the story and pay attention to the fine details that are in it. The reviews really put a smile on my face, and it reminds me that for some strange reason, this story's not extinct.

Enjoy this chapter!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 17**

The drive back from Threshold Park wasn't exactly the most comfortable journey for Troy. He'd had his fair share of terrible road trips, but this one took the cake. There he was, in a posh convertible with a certain blonde named Sharpay Evans—the sweetest dream come true—and he couldn't even begin to enjoy it.

Barely ten minutes had passed, and it was like walking on thin ice. Fragility was in the air, almost as though a single sound made could shatter the walls that encased them. The suffocation he felt didn't even come close to the guilt that suddenly seemed to drop onto his shoulders—the only thing weighing him down to the seat.

Mustering up courage was a lot harder than he thought, but Troy managed to lift his head up slightly to steal a peek at the girl next to him. She had her eyes pealed on the road—practically glaring ahead at the tarred floor—and her stunning features held no sentiment whatsoever. It seemed she was beginning to do that more often. It would've been the perfect work of a skillfully-trained actress, if it weren't for the hint of undetected mix of emotions haunting just beneath the surface.

There was _tension_.

There were _confusions_.

There was _anger_.

There was _skepticism_.

But there was _hurt_.

And then there was _relief_.

There was _happiness_.

There were _doubts_.

But there was _assurance_.

And then there was _love_.

Troy just sat there and watched her—watched all of the chaos that was happening within her—and he still couldn't believe how beautiful she was. Nothing could dwindle the aura of radiance, no matter what was going through her life. Sharpay was just that amazing, and all he wanted to do at that moment was turn the car around and drive her up to a secluded area and kiss her senseless.

**The best thing 'bout tonight's that we're not fighting  
****Could it be that we have been this way before?  
****I know you don't think that I am trying  
****I know you're wearing thin down to the core.**

The sigh that came out of his mouth was that of defeat because he knew that was never going to happen. He'd be lucky if Sharpay was even willing to stand within a ten-mile radius of his existence after all the drama he'd created—the emotional roller coaster he'd made her ride with him. Troy was digging a deeper hole than he had intended to, but he had to do it. He hadn't even thought of the consequences—the repercussion of his actions on the weeks to come—the pain it would cause her in the end.

**But hold your breath  
****Because tonight will be the night  
****That I will fall for you over again  
****Don't make me change my mind**

"Troy? Troy?"

He was whisked back to the present, and found that they were parked beside the curb in front of his house. Glancing over her shoulders, he saw that the lights were still on, so he figured his parents hadn't gone to sleep yet, or his dad probably was watching basketball. "Oh," he mumbled, turning his gaze back to the blonde girl, suddenly not much in a hurry to leave. "That was…fast."

Sharpay shut off the engine and everything dimmed down. "Yeah," she said, as though somehow feeling the need to reply or to feel the silent void in the car.

"Well, then…I guess I should—" Troy began to take his seatbelt off, sure that she wouldn't want to talk to him tonight.

"Troy, wait!"

He froze, his hand already on the handle of the door.

"I want to thank you," she added timidly, and he just had to face her to make sure she was really talking to him. Her face broke into a small grin, possibly from the animated look of disbelief that he was giving her. "For telling me the truth today—all of it."

The guilt came toppling back down on him, but he was determined not to show it. Rather, he cleared his throat at an attempt to cover up for it.

"You're—you're not mad?"

Sharpay tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "I am—I mean, I was. I just—I can't believe you'd lie to me like that."

"I'm really sorry, Shar. I didn't mean for it to—"

"But I'm glad that it was all a lie, and I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier," she sheepishly laughed—a nervous sort of laugh. "I guess I overreacted, you know."

Troy regarded her with a certain degree of amusement. After all, she looked so adorable when she was anxious and apologetic. Such a rare sight had to be treasured to the fullest, and this was one picture he'd never forget. It was painted so perfectly, so flawlessly, there wasn't anything like it.

**Or I won't live to see another day  
****I swear it's true  
****Because a girl like you is impossible to find  
****You're impossible to find**

"You do that a lot," he teased.

The corner of her lips twitched up slightly. "Listen, Troy, did you really mean what you said?"

"Shar, even before that night at the party, I've been intrigued by you," he began, inching slightly closer, his voice dropping to an intimate level. "You look like such an angel that I couldn't believe all that Ice Queen façade that you always portray in school. You were always such a flirt, Shar, and I didn't think you'd take me seriously. I'm just a guy, and then Gabriella came into the frame and—"

"What did you see in that girl, anyways?" Sharpay cut in, huffing rather haughtily. "She always looks like she's dressing up for Halloween. Like, hello, overdose of make-up much? And—"

It was hilarious, and Troy had to bite his bottom lip to keep himself from bursting out in hysterics. If he hadn't known better, he'd thought Sharpay Evans was actually intimidated by a freaky math genius. Then again, it wouldn't completely startle him if she was in fact just blatantly pointing out Gabriella's sense of style—or the obvious lack thereof.

"Shar," he smirked. "I get it. She's a fashion idiot, alright?"

"Wow, it sounds better when _you_ say it."

"Sharpay…" Troy trailed on, trying to get the topic back on track. "You saw it yourself how drastically she's changed. I did like her—the old her, when she wasn't such a bitch about everything."

The blonde next to him rolled her bronze eyes, mumbling something along the lines of, "tell me about it."

"But that night at the party, when we kissed, I just can't explain to you how it feels—how _right_ it feels to have you in my arms, my fingers running through your hair, the fire in the way you looked at me—"

_The sweet, sweet love we made…_

Their gazes interlocked and in that split second he thought she was leaning in closer to him.

"Shar, it was the way you looked at me that completely took my breath away. It sounds cheesy now, I know, but that's the truth. I—I can't describe it but from that moment on, I can't get you out of my head. I've tried everything I can, but the more I thought of you the more you turned me on. I was literally going crazy. I couldn't sleep without picturing you, and it was the sexual drive that finally drove me to the edge."

**This is not what I intended  
****I always swore to you I'd never fall apart  
****You always thought that I was stronger  
****I may have failed, but I have loved you from the start**

Sharpay glanced away all of a sudden and Troy couldn't have been more ashamed of himself, but he didn't want her to think that she was a slut or a whore in anyway. If it weren't for the hormones—those evil adolescent entity of sanity destruction—he'd probably have more control of his _needs_. Troy reached out and took her delicate hands—resting unattended on her lap—then pulled it close to his chest.

"Hey, listen, I know what you're thinking and you're not, Shar. You're far from that," he told her, using his free hand to gently stroke her cheek. She winced slightly and pulled away, as though he'd offended her in anyway. "Sorry, I—"

"It's okay."

"I want you to know that I'm glad I got to see this side of you. Regardless of all the yelling and sorts, I've enjoyed being with you—shopping for the groceries, writing that song together, playing with the kids, eating ice cream on a cliff…Sharpay, you've been amazing. I broke up with Gabriella because I felt that I had to. It had nothing to do with you—"

Sharpay gave him a pointed look.

"Fine, it was partially because of you," he confessed. "But, I really wanted to. I've told you before that my business was to make you mine, and I was serious about it. I didn't hijack your car to make you the damsel in distress, Shar. That jersey _was_ mine. But the last I saw of it was on Gabriella three Saturdays ago. She borrowed it when she was over at my house after that game against Terry, and she never did return it to me."

"So you're saying that she was bitter about the break-up, decided she was going to get back at you—and me—by hijacking my car then framing you for it?" Sharpay concluded thoughtfully.

"Are you convinced she's just as devious as you are?"

She replied him with a smack on the back of his head, sending his shaggy mahogany hair flying in odd directions. "You take that back, Bolton."

"Seriously, though, Shar," Troy continued, rubbing the sore spot where he got hit. "You believe that she did it, right?"

"Well, I guess I kind of already figured as much when she tried to threaten me in the girls' bathroom. If that little wench thought that she could scare me, she's in for a rude awakening. She had some nerve," Sharpay spat out, displaying that famous trademark scowl of hers.

Troy's eyebrow sprung up in surprise. "Gabriella threatened you?"

"Was that hard to believe?"

"Actually…not really," Troy snickered. "Wow, she's turning into gangster material."

"Wait till she meets Trista," Sharpay said, letting out a low whistle. "She serves gangster on a platter."

"Who's Trista?"

Sharpay shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "A friend." And she left it at that—not offering anything more.

He didn't want to pry on anymore of her personal affairs, so he let it slip. "What did you do?"

"You mean Gabzilla?" Sharpay snarled, sinking herself into the driver's seat. "Simple, really. I fought fire with fire, and she got burned."

"I didn't think it'll turn this ugly."

"What were you expecting? Rose petals and dancing unicorns?"

**But hold your breath  
****Because tonight will be the night  
****That I will fall for you over again  
****Don't make me change my mind**

"But then I fell in love with you."

There was a pause. A long pause. And for what seemed like forever, as time ticked on, the tension was building up. Troy had his cerulean blues fixed on the side profile of Sharpay's exquisite face—watching, waiting for a reaction—while she simply just stared straight ahead, almost motionless.

"Thank you, Troy, for not having sex with me," she spoke at last, her voice cracking. Her almond-shaped eyes "It means a lot to me that I'm not like my mother."

Then, she did something very unlike her—she gave him a small peck on his cheek. Troy closed his eyelids; a slight gasping sigh escaped his lips as he tried to register the moment in his brains. It was filled with so much innocence, so much honesty, it couldn't—shouldn't—have been meant for him. Whatever it was that he'd earned, he sure as hell didn't deserve any bit of it. It probably lasted for a fleeting second or so, but it felt like an eternity. Yet, it wasn't entirely enough.

**Or I won't live to see another day  
****I swear it's true  
****Because a girl like you is impossible to find  
****It's impossible**

"You're…welcome," he managed out after clearing his throat.

"I should…probably go home now," she said, embarrassed.

"Yeah, me too," Troy babbled on. "I should go in now, you know, my parents might be wondering where I am and stuff…"

Sharpay was nodding her head, but it didn't seem like she was actually agreeing on anything—just merely to fill up the gap between their failed attempt at a conversation, or a parting exchange of words—whichever suited their circumstance.

"So…"

"See you in school?"

"Yup."

"Are you going to the orphanage tomorrow?"

She shook her head. "No. I have to go through the script and the score sheets for the musical with Kelsi and Mrs. Darbus. It probably won't take long though, but sometimes we get carried away."

"After that, maybe…?"

The blonde shrugged her petite shoulders again. That was becoming a habit too. "I'm going over to Mrs. Collingsworth's place. I promised her I'd drop by and see how Lucy is doing."

"Lucy? Mrs. Collingsworth?"

"Mrs. C's my housekeeper," Sharpay explained dismissively.

"Oh," Troy raised his eyebrows. "Can I come?"

The amusement was evident in her tone. "Don't you have better things to do?"

"Don't you already have enough things to do?" he shot back.

"Touché," she chuckled good-naturedly.

"So, am I in then?"

"In what?"

"The plan?"

"What plan?"

Troy narrowed his eyes. "The after school plan in which you're going over to your housekeeper's place to visit a certain Lucy?"

"Oh, that," she took her time answering, enjoying the slow torture it was causing him. "Well, if you want to—"

"I do."

"Sure, Troy, you can come too."

"Cool! So I'll see you tomorrow then?"

Sharpay pretended to inspect her perfectly manicured fingers. "Tomorrow then it is."

"Great."

**So breathe in so deep  
****Breathe me in, I'm yours to keep  
****And hold on to your words 'cause talk is cheap  
****And remember me tonight when you're asleep**

"Good night, Bolton."

"Good night, Evans," he replied, opening the door. Then he stopped. There was something he had yet to say to her. "Shar?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"If you keep on saying that, Troy, I might end up believing you."

"You don't know how I wish that was true."

**Because a girl like you is impossible to find  
****You're impossible to find**

* * *

**A/N: **Hehe…I know that this is a rather short chapter compared to the previous one, and I was wondering if I should add in the next part of the story into this update, but I figured that this chapter should be simple to keep the mood there.

**The Summer Breeze:** Thank you so much! Yeah, I'm trying to speed things up a bit now that I'm not as busy as I used to be. The hot and juicy Troypay-ness might need to be on a low for now because, you know…Troy doesn't want to push his luck with her. Hope you liked this update!

**LoveIsLost29:** I'm glad you found the interaction between Troy and Josh was adorable. I was picturing the scenes in my head and they were just so sweet that, I didn't know how to translate them all into words. I guess you can say that Sharpay is starting to let him into her life again, after all that truth he told her…hmm…truth?

**Stessa:** Aww…thank you so much!! Haha…tell me how that works out for you, yeah? Hope you've enjoyed this chapter (though it isn't very long)! Tell me what you think!

**SeBabGr:** Thank you so much! Hope this update works for you!

**Clotisy:** Oooh, you're nasty! But I like the way you think! Sharpay's stubborn because she probably believes that she's a strong character—which she is, I guess. You're really observant, even for the 'past normal bedtime' syndrome. Truth be told, I write my stories after my own bedtime, but my summary and series of events were written ahead of time so that I wouldn't stray away from the original storyline that I'd intended. I hope this chapter clears some of your confusion although it doesn't give you a direct answer (hint, hint). That scene you were describing, took me a whole writing day to write, honestly, because it just had to be perfect, you know. Hehe…thank you so much for the awesome review!!

**Princesssamz:** Thank you so much! Next one coming right up!

**LoveAndSerenity:** Hi! Thank you so much! I'm really flattered that you've stayed up till 4 in the morning—sacrificing precious sleeping hours—to read the whole story! And your review, I have to say, by far is the most analytical one I've received—and I'm glad! It means I've managed to keep you awake and alert throughout the chapters regardless of the time of night. You pick up details really well! Are you a literature student? Hehe…just wondering…people usually don't quote my stories, you know…okay, I'll stop babbling…Anyways, I'm sure by now, some of your questions about them sleeping together are answered (hint, hint). I'm sure you're having your own hypothesis about them right about now (wink, wink). 'Icebergs and Icequeens' was an inspiration for my story. I'm sure I wrote that at some point of time in this story. I don't think you're insulting me in any way, really. I like to know what people think of the story and how I can go about improving it. I'm not giving up on this story yet. It's my baby—well, sort of—and one way or another, I'm going to finish it. I'm sorry to disappoint you that I only have just this one story at the moment. Do you have any ideas for future stories? Hehe…hope you've liked this bit!

Song used — "Fall For You" by Secondhand Serenade


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: **I so deserve a good spank on my butt for this. Shit…I've been meaning to update this and all, but things kept coming up. My graduation's in 3 weeks or so, but in the meantime, I'm looking for a job. So, if anybody's willing to hire a graphic designer/illustrator/copywriter, please do not hesitate to drop me an e-mail, thank you! Hehe…and above that, I'm still dancing with my crew, so…BUT…I did manage to finish this chapter as I've hoped for, and honestly, I've spent three nights writing this (I didn't sleep last night…) so if there are any errors or something that doesn't make sense, please excuse me!

In the meantime, hope you like this update!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 18**

She was humming a song as she descended the stairs, but it wasn't just any song—it was _the_ song—and she was excited. She didn't know what it was that sent butterflies multiplying in her stomach. When she had woken up that morning, something felt different—better—somehow. There was a layer of positive energy in the room, probably a fabrication of the warm daylight that simmered through her curtains.

**Inside my mouth I can hear all the voices say  
**"**Do not lean over the ledge"  
****I shouldn't look down and I shouldn't have found  
****That your lips I still taste in my head**

Maybe she was keyed up for the meeting that she was going to have with Mrs. Darbus and Kelsi after school for the final proof reads of the school play. It was going to be her very first fully co-produced, co-directed and co-choreographed musical ever. She was running high on expectations—one that she knew was going to transform her into a total anal compressive bitch about every single detail. Regardless, it still brought a delicious shiver running down her spine each time she thought of it.

**Raising my glass to the head of the class  
****As she powers out steps one through ten  
****I think I'll be fine if I'm covered in wine  
****I still hate you and love you again**

Or maybe it could be the reflection that was staring back at her when she gazed at her face in the mirror. At first glance, she was a picture-perfect portrait—flawless and magnificent—yet when she took a closer look, she found something new in the depths of her hazel eyes. She couldn't tell what it was exactly, and then spent the next five minutes or so trying to figure it out till she eventually gave up. It was probably just a figment of her wild imagination.

"Hi."

Sharpay lifted her head up at the sound of her brother's voice. She hadn't even noticed his presence when she'd entered the kitchen.

**Weary and worn  
****Little monster is born  
****Tell me lies and I'll justify them**

"Hi," she replied, tilting her head slightly in uncertainty. "Wait—did I just imagine that, or were you actually making civil contact with me?"

Ryan didn't answer her, but rather busied himself with drinking his orange juice and Sharpay reckoned she'd hit a nerve. She couldn't help it.

_The sarcasm just flew out of my mouth_, she thought defensively—more so to eliminate the speck of guilt that had suddenly weighed down on her shoulders. _It's not my fault anyway. He hasn't been the nicest of people recently._

While still assuring herself, Sharpay mechanically headed over to the fridge to pull out a plate with a perfectly-made sandwich on it—comprising of ham, lettuce, tomato and mashed eggs—nicely wrapped in plastic—compliments of Mrs. Collingsworth—and a carton of apple juice. She set them down on the kitchen counter—as far away from her twin brother as possible—and began unwrapping her breakfast. She was facing her back to him, so there was no telling what he was doing or what expression his face was holding. However, the tension in the air was just as deafening as the silence itself.

_What a jerk—ruining my mood so early in the morning. Why do I have such an irritating brother who just wouldn't mind his own business but instead takes pleasure on messing with mine? Doesn't he have his own set of issues to settle? Like, get a life, for example?_

The sarcasm just wouldn't stop—even in her mind.

"Did you know that Bolton told Danforth about your little orphanage secret?"

She froze.

"What?"

"Troy told Chad about your secret yesterday. I heard it for myself, Shar. It's going to be all over school in no time," Ryan told her.

Slowly, with ragged breaths, Sharpay turned around to look at her twin brother, her face drained of colour. "You're—you're kidding me, right? This has got to be one of your sick jokes, Ryan. It's—it's not funny anymore."

**The name of the game is outrunning the blame  
****So I hate you and love you  
****We're friends**

His face was a mask of truth, and she knew it. He had nothing to hide and nothing to lose, while she, on the other hand, had her whole life at stake.

_No. No! How can this be happening? No!_

She was already a living Russian roulette before any of these happened, but all she could think of was the devastating betrayal of the one person that she thought—for once—she could truly count on to understand her. The one person she was sure would accept her wholeheartedly for who she really was regardless of her eternal flaws. Her heart felt as though it had crumbled into dust and thrown into the choppy waters of the deadly seas.

Excruciating.

Hastily, she whipped around before her brother could witness the first trickle of tears running down her cheeks.

_How could he do this to me?_

Bracing herself against the kitchen counter, Sharpay tried to stabilize herself and regain her composure. Surely there had to be an explanation for what Troy Bolton did.

_What explanation could it possibly be? That he was trying to do me a favour? Was that what he was trying to do?_

Noble, but stupid.

_Is he trying to exploit me in any way? Maybe an attempt at running next year's class president? Or the school valedictorian?_

Her accusations were becoming ridiculous by the second, but she wasn't going to stop yet. Not until…

"Ryan, are you—"

She heard the front door slam shut.

"Fuck!" she hissed at the sight of the empty glass and half-eaten bagel left on the center island.

She was going to be late for school.

_Great!_ she thought, scowling.

Bolting out of the kitchen, Sharpay ran into the living room, grabbed her hot pink backpack from the couch and dashed out of the door, remembering to snatch her car keys along the way. She practically flew down the flight of stairs as she made her way over to her shiny, spotless convertible sitting patiently at the driveway.

When she came to a stop at the driver's side of the door, she was panting so hard her hands were trembling. Her chest was heaving and she braced her weight on he car while she tried to regain her breaths. Sharpay swallowed hard, as much as she could to ease some liquid down her raspy throat. The process was painful and she started wheezing. She felt dehydrated as she struggled to produce more saliva, but whatever fluid that went down only ended up churning a pit of bile.

Then she began coughing.

It was happening again.

And the stinging burn in her heart inflamed like stabbing knives on fire.

**Oh why (why)  
****Can't (can't)  
****You take me in your arms now?  
****Why (why)  
****Can't (can't)  
****You take me?**

Agonizing.

It was eating her up—chewing on her strength and tearing on her body—vicious and merciless. She didn't know how long more she could take of this. She was completely drained out of her energy and her legs were buckling beneath her. Ripping the door open, she collapsed in the driver's seat, clutching her ribcage as it continued its torment on her soul. At that moment, she just wanted to die—wanted all of it to end and not feel anything for the rest of her life or thereafter. She thumped her pounding head lightly on the steering wheel, silently begging with gritted teeth to the heavens above to cease the unwritten punishment on her.

The blurry vision was making her dizzy and she sealed her eyes shut, knowing that if she continued keeping them open, she would hurl. She wanted so bad to scream to the sky—the pain was unbearable on her already beaten up frame—and surrender herself.

_Oh, God, help me!_

Tears were pouring freely down her sweat-stained face. Her make-up was ruined, but she couldn't even begin to think about her appearance and how havoc had reeked on it. They could find her pale and dead—she didn't care.

**Better stop crying, hello and goodbying  
****Go on through me, slip on trough my hands  
****You get your time and the other half's mine  
****It's okay this love weighs fifty men**

After what seemed like an eternity of hell, the beating subsided. She sat there, exhausted from the battle, tilting her head back to rest on the cushion of the seat and allowed the light breeze to fan her, thanking whatever compassionate being for ending her twisted episode of what could've been an exorcism.

Though still weak and recovering, Sharpay decided she was capable of driving to school. She stuck the key into the ignition, strapped on her seat belt and pulled out of the driveway.

* * *

"Alright, class. I have read and graded all of your essays that you've written last week, and I must say that I'm quite impressed. Most of you had managed to grasp the essence on what this Creative Writing class is all about…"

Troy wasn't paying attention. Again.

He was too busy staring at the empty seat diagonally in front of him—the seat where a certain blonde should be occupying by now. Directing his eyes over to the circular clock on the wall for what seemed like the hundredth time since the class started, he started to get worried. School had officially begun twenty minutes ago and she still hasn't arrived.

_Where is she?_ he thought, squirming in his chair. _Did something bad happen to her? Did she meet with an accident? Maybe something happened at the orphanage?_

Discreetly pulling out his cellphone, Troy sent a quick text over to her. He wasn't even going to _try_ to listen to Ms. Panabaker. Creative Writing wasn't his strongest subject and he was very sure that he wasn't among those people who 'managed to grasp the essence'. In face, he was certain the teacher barely made it to the second paragraph before grading his essay.

"…And with me is a beautiful piece of writing that I felt was truly amazing. It's engaging, it's truthful, it's heartfelt and it breathes magic. The writer of this work of art is none other than—"

Just then, Sharpay rushed into the class looking flushed and immediately Troy's face lit up. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as his worst fears were proven to be unnecessary. Still, there was something…off…about the way she looked. Despite the shade of red that coloured her cheeks, she appeared relatively pale.

_Did she forget to put on her make-up?_

"Sorry, I'm late. Overslept."

"Aah…Sharpay!" Ms. Panabaker gestured her into the room. "You're here just in time!" she added as the blonde girl made her way to her seat.

"In time for what?" Sharpay asked before sitting down.

"No, no. Don't sit down yet. Could you come forward and read your essay out loud for the whole class?" the teacher requested.

Troy beamed at her.

"Erm…excuse me?" Sharpay said uncertainly.

"Sharpay, your essay is simply astounding. Would you mind reading it to the class?" Ms. Panabaker held up a piece of paper that was in her hand all along.

"Er…" Sharpay glanced around the room, half nervous and half embarrassed. Her gorgeous hazel eyes landed on Troy and he gave her an encouraging nod. In return, she sent him a slight grin. "Okay," she agreed rather reluctantly and stood up.

As she made her way down the aisle to the front of the class, Troy couldn't help admiring her obvious beauty. Even in her stride, she exuded the aura and the grace of a born performer, though he could tell that she was somewhat awkward. She retrieved her essay from Ms. Panabaker and held it up in front of her. Troy leaned forward in his seat, resting his arms on the table. He knew from the way she had read stories to the children in the orphanage that she was very much capable of captivating her audience.

She cleared her throat and then began, her voice clear and emotional. _"_Anger and hatred could be summarized as an emotion, and emotion in turn holds enormous power." She paused to scan the room at the faces of her classmates. "But power in turn destroys even the purest of souls and the strongest of minds. Does that make emotion a destruction to humanity? Does that make each and every one of us a killer?"

Sharpay took a deep breath, slightly smirking. "Even if we are, would we admit to it? Should we blame our emotion for what negative thoughts or actions that affect our circumstances? Are we at fault to hold these emotions in ourselves? Should we just eliminate these emotions altogether for peace in this world?" She looked up at the ceiling and lightly shook her head. "No. We were entitled to these emotions for a reason. In anger, we learn patience. In hatred, we learn to love. We accept these emotions because we want to be a better person, but—"

Suddenly she stopped, her forehead creased in ache and her hand shot up to clutch her head.

"Shar…Sharpay?" Ms. Panabaker hinted.

Troy's cerulean blue eyes widened as he watched her sway for a moment. Instinctively, he sprung out of his seat, catching her just in time before she collapsed. A chorus of gasps echoed throughout the classroom as everyone scrambled forward.

**I'm desperate today and it's making me pay  
****For that night, for that kiss, for your bed**

"Shar? Shar, are you okay?" Troy asked frantically, cradling her in his arms. He smoothed her hair out of her face and found that she was perspiring. He noticed the crowd of people hovering about. "Get out of the way! Give her some space, she needs to breathe!" he ordered.

Instantly, the circle opened up and Ms. Panabaker shoved her way to kneel beside them. "Kids, please return to your seats, now and let Sharpay be, thank you." she instructed before bending over to check on the unconscious girl. "We need to get her to the nurse's office."

"I can do that," Troy replied instantly, jumping in at the opportunity.

Ms. Panabaker looked skeptical. "You sure, Troy?"

"Yeah," he said. Then carefully and delicately, he lifted her up in his arms. At the corner of his eyes, he spotted Zeke Baylor sitting on the edge of his desk looking helpless but concerned. "Hey, Zeke? Could you mention this to Ryan when you see him?"

Zeke jolted out of his reverie, startled by the mention of his name. "Yeah, sure man," he promised.

"Thanks," he said gratefully.

Without uttering another word, Troy exited the classroom and sped-walked down the empty corridor down to the nurse's office. He didn't even bother to knock on the glass door before shoving it open with his side.

"Oh, dear," was the first thing the nurse—a kind lady in her mid-fifties with a pair of glasses hanging from her neck and her graying hair tied up in a neat bun—said when she saw the cataleptic girl.

"Where do I put her?" Troy asked calmly.

"Right there would be perfect, son," she told the basketball captain, indicating the bed that was tucked cozily at the corner of the place.

Troy placed Sharpay down with a little more precaution than he needed to, as though afraid she might break into a million pieces at the slightest bit of force. He stepped back and admired her delicate features.

"What happened, Troy?" the older woman questioned as she pulled out essential items from the cabinets.

Sighing, Troy shrugged his shoulders, his eyes never leaving Sharpay's peaceful-looking face. "I don't know, Mrs. Murillo. She came in late for class but she looked fine, I suppose but then she had to read her essay out loud and she just collapsed."

"Did she look pale or anything?" Mrs. Murillo continued to inquire. She walked over to the bed with a digital thermometer in her hand and then stuck it into Sharpay's right ear.

"A little, I guess. I didn't really notice it, but she had been perspiring a lot when she passed out."

There was a beep from the thermometer. "Well, she is running a slight temperature here. Do you know if she's had her breakfast or anything to eat?"

Troy shook his head, feeling completely futile. "I'm not sure, though but that could be a possibility."

Mrs. Murillo gave him a small, reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Troy. She's going to be fine. Just let her rest here for a bit."

"Is there something I can do?"

"Don't you have class to go to?" she pointed out with a meaningful raise of an eyebrow.

Troy felt the blood rush to his face. "I really want to stay here and see how she does, you know, in case she wakes up and all; at least I'd be there to—"

"Do you need a pass for it, then?" Mrs. Murillo winked knowingly before moving over to the sink.

The delight was evident in the sparkle of his cerulean blue orbs. "You're saying, I can stay?"

She handed a bowl of cool tap water and a clean towel over to him. "Wet the towel and lay it over her forehead. It'll help bring her temperature down. I'll need to go over to the office to clear you out till lunch, but anything after that is yours to answer to, am I clear?"

Troy nodded solemnly. "Yes, ma'am."

Mrs. Murillo left the room and Troy immediately took to role what he had to do. Quietly, so as not to trigger a lot of disturbance to the environment, he sat down on the bed next to Sharpay and placed the bowl of tap water down on the small nightstand. He dipped the fresh towel into the bowl, fully submerging it, and then wrung it so that it wasn't dripping with water. Ever so delicately, he brushed away strands of stray hair from her face before laying the wet towel down onto her temple.

**Whoever dared to love someone not there  
****I don't need a balloon and a pin**

She let out a slight cringe. Unfortunately, the stir had awakened her.

"Hey, Shar," Troy whispered, caressing the smooth surface of her cheek with his thumb.

She groaned, "what happened?"

"You passed out."

"What? When?"

"While you were reading your essay to the class," he explained patiently.

She was still pretty much disoriented, but from up close, Troy could see the slight dark circles under her eyes that had probably been skillfully concealed by make-up. Perhaps it had been washed away when she perspired.

"I feel terrible," she murmured. "Where am I?"

"You'll be fine. You're in the nurse's office."

"Where is she?"

"Who?"

"The nurse," Sharpay grumbled, trying to sit up—only to be held back down by the basketball captain.

"Lay down, Shar. You need to rest. Mrs. Murillo is settling some stuff in the office. I'm sure she'll be back soon."

Sharpay didn't put up a fight.

"Did you have breakfast this morning?"

The blonde just barely shook her head in response.

"Why?"

"I was late," she mumbled.

"Well then it's no wonder you passed out," he told her. "Do you want me to get you anything? Wait, don't answer that. I'm going to get you some food."

Before Sharpay could protest, Troy was out of the door. He jogged all the way to the cafeteria. Not entirely sure what Sharpay liked, he grabbed the basics that he felt she ought to have—an egg sandwich, a banana muffin, a small bowl of mixed fruits and a carton of chocolate milk. Being a basketball player and all, his dad had the whole team go on a strict diet weeks before the season starts, consisting of carbohydrates and proteins. Apart from that, they had plenty of fruits and vitamins as well.

He really wanted to show Sharpay that he was truly sincere about everything—about helping her with the orphanage…and also about his feelings towards her. Without question, he was head over heels in love with the Drama Queen, and there was nothing that he wouldn't do for her. Somehow, Troy felt that Sharpay was his responsibility. It was insane because technically, they weren't even going out, but there was this undeniable sense of belonging. Hopefully, being with her alone would give him sufficient private time.

However, when Troy returned to the sick bay, he had company.

"Oh, hey, Ryan."

The Evans twin whipped his head around, his expression extremely pissed off. Snarling, he demanded, "what did you _do_ to her?"

Troy narrowed his eyes at the accusing tone of voice. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. More so, he didn't understand the sheer rudeness and hostility that he was receiving—after all that he'd done. He certainly didn't deserve this ungraciousness.

_What's up with this dude?_

"Look, I didn't do anything to her, alright," he said, remaining composed. "She passed out in class, so I brought her here."

Ryan took a few dangerous steps forward, the deadly glare not breaking at all and brought himself within an arm's length of Troy. The tension and pent-up anger rang high in the room, and suddenly Troy felt constricted. Ryan was definitely unhappy about something—and there was no doubt that he was going to take it out on the other guy.

This was their first confrontation and Troy wasn't sure if he was prepared for what was going to come. He wasn't scared about getting into a fight with Sharpay's twin brother—he could pin the guy down without even breaking a sweat—but if he were to get into a major blow with Ryan, he damn well knew that Sharpay wasn't going to forgive him.

_Hell, she probably wouldn't want to see my sorry ass ever again._

"I don't know what kind of sick game you're playing at, Bolton, but I'm not going to stand around and let you hurt my sister," Ryan warned all protective and brotherly. "You have no idea how much she's been through lately, and your fucking existence just made it worse. Leave her alone. She doesn't need you."

"Isn't that _her_ choice?"

Ryan reduced the distance between them. "Not anymore. I heard what you said to Danforth. You fucking told him about her secret, didn't you? Do you have any idea how that's going to affect Sharpay? Do you?"

"I was defending her!"

"She doesn't need your damn lame defence. She hasn't needed it before, and neither does she need it now, alright? So back off before things get ugly."

"I don't have to listen to you."

"It's not a request, it's an order."

"In case you haven't received the memo, I don't take orders from a demented brother."

"I'm serious, Bolton!" he lashed out. "Stay away from her!"

"And what if I don't, huh? What are you going to do about it? File a restraining order against me?" Troy shot back.

"By all means if necessary, I would do it."

"That's crazy!" Troy exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air at how ludicrous the situation was. "You can't stop me from doing anything that I want to do. _Nothing_, and I mean _nothing_ is going to stop me."

"Why can't you just let it go?"

"Because I love her! And I'm sure that she feels the same way too."

"Hilarious, Bolton. I totally enjoyed the humour," Ryan said with a short, amused laugh. "Does your little fantasy come with a warning label? 'Cause you might want to recheck it."

"You wouldn't know anything about being in love, Ryan," Troy snapped back, his voice booming.

"Judging by the way you were with Little Miss Montez, I could say the same for you."

"Leave Gabriella out of—"

"Stop it! Both of you!"

It was Sharpay that saved the two boys from any further verbal abuse. Their bickering must've awoken her up, and Troy felt terrible about it. He didn't like having a row with her brother and he should've tried to end the argument for her sake at least. Feeling totally at fault, he looked away from Ryan in shame and guilt.

"Shar, we were—"

"I don't want to hear it, Ryan," she spat out bitterly. "Get out! Both of you!"

"Look, Shar—"

"Now!" she barked.

"I got you a sandwich and stuff," Troy informed her timidly.

She didn't bother making eye contact. "You can leave it on the chair and go."

Ryan had already left the room, and Troy did as he was told. But before he went off—depressed and defeated—he managed to squeeze in three syllables.

"I'm sorry."

**Oh why (why)  
****Can't (can't)  
****You take me in your arms now?  
****Why can't you take me?**

* * *

**A/N: **And there you go! Chapter 18! Yay!! And FYI, for those of you who are worried that I might once again take AGES to complete a chapter, I've already started on chapter 19…I'm on a roll, baby! Haha…thank you so much you guys for sticking by me and this story, and I'm truly grateful for my readers. You guys have truly given me the encouragement and motivation to continue what I've started (and wanted so much to finish)!

Firstly, the song used in this chapter has a really deep meaning to it, and I love the song to bits! There was a contemporary piece done to this song, choreographed by Mia Michaels and I literally teared watching it! You can go find it on youtube danced by the finalists of So You Think You Can Dance Season 4.

Song used — "The Dance" by Charlotte Martin

If anyone's going to figure out what the song means, well…it conveys a hidden message to the story and that first part of the chapter :D

**SeBabGr:** Thank you so much! Troypay is adorable, aren't they? Pfft…wonder why so much drama? Man! Hope you loved this update too!

**LoveIsLost29:** Thanks a lot for the review! I hope you hadn't waited too long for the update (although, I'm sure you did..sorry!) :D

**Troypay4eternity:** Hehe…I really enjoy writing cute troypay moments as much as I love reading them too! Even as a writer, I seriously want them to speed it up and get together already…sheesh! They're being so difficult, huh? Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**LoveAndSerenity:** I usually leave my laptop on at night too! Haha…beats the time waiting for it to boot up everytime! Wow! All honors classes? That's some serious stuff! I've read your fanfics and I love your one-shots! You have absolutely no problem expressing yourself, and it shows in your writing, and even when you leave reviews. When you get a book or screenplay published, please do e-mail me and tell me about it! I'd love to see how your stories have developed…Well, I used to major in Literature back in school, but I didn't like analyzing people's work. I love to read and appreciate them without question—that's kind of the beauty of it, I feel. Hehe…thank you so much for the compliment! Seriously, I'm flattered that you think of my writing that way. It just propels me forward to produce better chapters!

**Clotisy:** Troy really has a mess to clean up now, huh? Haha…I think writers and readers all have this thing for staying up late at such crazy hours of the night! Haha…happy dance at such a time? Must be a good one! You should video down all your happy dances that you do for each chapter! I might just make a choreography out of it! Hehe…back to the story! Well, Sharpay is just a girl who's been hurt and bruised so many times before, she just wants to be loved—but she's afraid. And I think it's going to be REALLY ugly when she finds out about the truth. I loved the little Gabriella bitching part too! It was such a JOY to write!! Hope you like this chapter!

**Stessa:** Aww, girl! You have been with me since…seriously I think from the beginning! Thank you so much for reviewing (and more so for reading the story to begin with!). I know this chapter took FOREVER to update, but I hope you'll forgive me for that! Tell me what you think of this update, yeah?

**Lonelywithoutyou:** Hehehe…I couldn't agree more!

**Dana:** Thank you so much! I really wanted Sharpay's character to be realistic, and not a sudden shift in her personality and all, maybe that's why it's taking Troypay so long to get together! I'm sorry to keep you waiting, and I'm glad I was able to satisfy your reading appetite! Hope you like this bit!

**Princesssamz:** Hehe…thank you so much!

**Paint Me a Symphony:** Wow! Really…wow! Thank you so much!

**PhantomGroupie91**: Thank you so much! Hope you like this chapter!

**Sezq:** Haha…thank you so much! Seriously, I think readers of has this thing for staying up till 4 in the morning to read…and I'm really flattered by it…thank you so much! I'm someone who appreciates my sleep, and I think by sacrificing the 3 to 4 hours just reading my story, that just feels awesome! I hope you love this installment!

**Virmett:** Whoa! Long review! Firstly, thank you so much for reading this story…and then THANK YOU for writing an amazing review! I'm glad that this story's one of your favourites, it means a lot that people appreciates my work! Like I've mentioned above with one of the reviews, I feel that it is really important to keep characters as realistic as possible so that people can actually relate to the character and understand the story better. I also love the interaction that I get with the readers when characters act a certain way and they could feel what the characters are feeling, and I really wanted to achieve that.

Haha…I love Sharpay too! She's a really interesting character! And she brings so much colour and layer and life into the story (and in High School Musical too!). You don't have to apologize for anything, seriously! I don't like forcing people to review, you know, because sometimes it really isn't easy trying to communicate with someone you don't know or haven't met yet! I get scared of reviewing, sometimes! Secondhand Serenade is probably one of the most romantic male singers that I know. It's unbelievable! I spent a week tinkling on my piano just to get "Fall For You" to sound perfect. I think that the songs play an important role in my story…it's like an imaginary soundtrack or something, you know? Awww…I really love writing Troypay scenes! They're the most difficult yet wonderful scenes to write! Thank you so much for leaving me such a long review! I hope you like this update!!

**:** Aww…thank you so much!! No, no! Don't pull your hair, yet! You might need them for later chapters! :P Hehe!

Seriously, guys…if there are any songs or anything that you think you want me to listen to or feel that it'll suit the story, please don't hesitate to drop me an e-mail or leave a review! If there are any ideas that you want fitted into the story, I'm open to them as well!

Till the next chapter!

Peace!!


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: **Yes! I got this done earlier than I'd planned to! Okay, I can see that horrified look on your face saying, "oh no, you didn't!" and oh yes, I did actually plan on finishing this right before my graduation but this is so much better, isn't it? Anyways, hope you'll enjoy this update!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 19**

Troy didn't talk to anybody at all for the rest of the day. He barely even touched his lunch. He couldn't pay proper attention in class or take down any notes. Even that surprise pop quiz during Math couldn't jog him out of his reverie. He looked pretty much like a comatose zombie—constantly spacing out thinking and worrying about a certain blonde girl in the sick bay.

The circular clock was now officially his new best friend as he stared up it yet again—losing count of how long he'd been doing that since Creative Writing that morning. It was the final class of the day—Physics—and the bell would ring in fifteen minutes. Troy couldn't seem to get his butt to settle down on the chair. He glanced around at his classmates, making sure that nobody was looking at him suspiciously. Fortunately, they were all listening attentively to the teacher demonstrating the law of potential energy and kinetic energy with a pendulum.

"Troy, Troy!"

He twisted his neck around to face Chad who was sitting directly behind him. "What?" he whispered back.

"Could you just stop moving? I can't see the damn pendulum," his best friend hissed.

"Oh, sorry man."

Troy turned back with a huff. _Since when is Chad interested in science anyway?_

When the bell finally rang, it was the sweetest sound of freedom. Troy quickly shoved all of his stuff into his backpack and zipped out of the class—not before ignoring his afro-haired friend who was calling out to him.

Of course his first instinct was to head over to the nurse's office to check on Sharpay, but there was something that was holding him back—or rather screaming for him to go the other way to where her hot pink locker was—as though directing him to her.

**Lonesome stranger  
****With a crowd around you  
****I see who you are**

As though lady luck was by his side, Sharpay was there; looking into the mirror to tie her hair up in a ponytail, and Troy wasted no time going up to her. He poked his head from behind her locker door, startling her a little.

"Troy!" she half-gasped.

"Hi, Shar," he grinned charmingly, and then turned apologetic. "Sorry, did I scare you?"

She pulled a blank face. "No," she said flatly. "What do you want?"

"Listen, is it okay if I drive you home today?"

Sharpay arched an eyebrow. "Why? Then who's going to drive my car back home?"

"I'll come back here and get it for you," Troy shrugged.

"What's all this, Troy? What do you want from me?"

He sighed and dug his hands into the pockets of his jeans. There was no alternate way of saying it. "I just want you to get home safe."

"Look, Troy, I'm perfectly capable of driving home on my own—"

"What if you pass out again?" he jumped in with an edge in his voice. "It's better to be safe than sorry and—"

"I'll be fine!"

"Shar…" he trailed off and their gazes interlocked. Troy was pleading, in the midst of getting down onto his knees and beg. "Please…"

She was the first to break the temporal trance, letting her eyes settle on something other than the guy in front of her. "I have a meeting with Kelsi and Mrs. Darbus in ten minutes."

"You're still going to that meeting?" he wanted to know.

Her almond-shaped eyes snapped up to meet his cerulean blue ones. "Yes," she scowled.

"Why?"

"It's something I have to do, alright?"

"Shar, you should be going home to rest."

"I said I'm fine, Troy. Just get off my back and stop worrying about me, alright? I get enough of that from the _Jazz Square_," she snapped at him, slamming her door shut.

Troy couldn't help but crack a smile at the name she used for her own twin brother. "I really don't think you should go. It's not that important anyway—"

"It is important to _me_!"

Her voice reverberated down the hallway, and immediately the place was loomed with silence. Every pair of eyes was on them but all they saw was each other—Troy stunned while Sharpay in rage.

Yet, there was something in the way she looked at him.

Something magical.

**You joke, they laugh  
****Till the show is over  
****Then you fall so hard**

It wasn't as though she hadn't shouted at him before. If anything, she was a regular high-volume resident to his ears, but this wasn't at all pure frustration that was thrown at him—it was more. It was passionate, and it blew Troy away at the extent. The musical was her _life_.

"I don't give a fuck if I'd drive off the damn road and roll down a cliff, I'm going to that meeting and I don't need your rat-ass permission for it," she said, her tone dripping with ice and brought her nose straight up to meet his. "So back off. Now."

Troy opened his mouth, only to be betrayed because nothing came out of it. He cleared his throat, and then hesitantly took a step back.

"Thank you," she muttered.

With that, she shoved past him and sauntered down the corridor, her silky blonde hair bouncing with each stride. Troy watched her go and disappeared as she rounded the corner. Upset with himself for being such an idiot, he let his emotions out on her locker, banging it once with his right fist. The collision caused a minor dent—one that made him spit out profanities in the middle of the throng of students.

_Son of a bitch!_

People began whispering and murmuring, probably already churning out gossips and rumours, and it was only then that Troy was aware they'd been having an audience—or rather now _he_ had an audience. Not bothering to eavesdrop on any of their wild theories—one that he'd overheard something akin to 'went to Las Vegas to get married'—Troy quickly headed for the exit, realizing that the crowd was parting for him as he walked—just like they had for Sharpay.

Then he made up his mind.

No matter what she'd told him, he was going to stick to his original plan.

_If she's going to be dead stubborn on things, two can play the game_, he thought as he reached the parking lot. His red Saab sat right next to Mr. Gomez's—the Geography teacher—beat-up classic Mercedes Benz. He got into his car, turned on the engine and drove out of the slot and out of the school gate.

**If you're needing  
****A soul-to-soul connection  
****I'll run to your side**

* * *

One hour later, Troy found himself sitting on the floor outside the auditorium, leaning his back against the wall while trying to solve a couple of tough chemical equations that his teacher had given the class as homework. He was staring hard at the numbers and alphabets, his forehead creased with concentration.

_Balancing equations shouldn't be _this_ difficult_, he thought, gnawing on his bottom lip.

Just then, he heard the faint sound of music—someone playing the piano—coming from inside the theatre. It was so beautiful and flawless he just had to get closer to better listen to it. He scooted closer to the door, tilting his head to press his ear against the wooden panel. Instantly, he closed his sapphire eyes to further appreciate the sweet lullaby and began picturing scenes in his head—scenes of Sharpay and him together, swaying gently as Jamie Sullivan and Landon Carter, holding her in his arms, inhaling the crazy scent of her blonde hair, and imagining just how perfect it would look like—and a wide grin spread across his lips.

**When you're lost in the dark  
****When you're out in the cold  
****When you're looking for something that resembles your soul**

The music stopped, and he let out a disappointed sigh before resuming with the task at hand—his chemistry homework. However each time a song was played, he'd stop all that he was doing and just listen. He'd bask in the music, as though receiving therapy, and let his mind wonder off.

**When the wind blows your house of cards  
****I'll be a home to your homeless heart**

He was still stuck on his fifth equation when suddenly the door opened, and Kelsi and Mrs. Darbus came out from the auditorium.

"Oh, my!" Mrs. Darbus half-exclaimed. "Troy? What are you doing out here?"

Troy gathered his stuff in his arms and stood up, blushing. "Erm…I was waiting for Sharpay," he informed them sheepishly.

Kelsi's eyebrows shot up in surprise as she hugged her folder closer to her body. "Oh."

"Yeah…" he trailed off awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

Mrs. Darbus came to the rescue. "Well, she's still inside. She'll be out soon. You can go in if you want, you know."

"Really?"

Both Mrs. Darbus and Kelsi nodded their heads in unison.

"Thanks," Troy smiled graciously, hoisting his backpack up one shoulder. And with one final toothy grin, he timidly entered the theatre. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the semi-darkness of the place, but he'd spotted her immediately when he came in.

She was propped at the edge of the stage, too preoccupied scribbling away to notice that she had a visitor, but that suited Troy just fine. It allowed him some time to just stand there and admire her ethereal splendor. The spotlights illuminated her petite figure like drops of yellow alstroemeria, creating a halo and highlighting her gorgeous blonde hair. He couldn't believe an even more perfect creature on this earth. She simply took his breath away.

**Open, close me  
****Leave your secrets with me  
****I can ease your pain**

Then, Sharpay glanced up unexpectedly and gasped, startled by his presence.

"Shit, Troy?"

He walked down the aisle till he stood directly in front of her. "Hey, Shar."

Her cocoa-coloured eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.

Troy shrugged his shoulders. "Waiting for you?"

**And my arms will be  
****Just like walls around you  
****Come in from the rain**

Sharpay folded her eyes across her chest and squared her shoulders. "I told you, Troy, I'm perfectly capable of going home on my own. I don't need you to chauffer me there."

"Alright, alright," he surrendered, holding both his hands in the air. "I get it, Sharpay. You can go home on your own, but I can't go to Mrs. Collingsworth's house by myself, right?"

"Wait, what—"

"You said I could go with you if I want to," he reminded her.

"When—"

"Yesterday, when you dropped me off, remember?"

"I didn't—"

"Yes, you did."

She paused for a second or so, and then seemed defeated as she recalled the previous day's events. "Fine," she caved in, rather hesitantly.

Troy had to resist punching his fist in the air and yelling out a big 'whoop', and instead settled on beaming really brightly. "Great! So, you ready to go?"

"Sure, sure," Sharpay grumbled, keeping her papers and writing materials into her hot pink backpack. "Why don't you just go wait by your car? I just need to close up here for a minute, switch off the lights and sorts."

He let out a nervous laugh and reached up to rub the nape of his neck. "Er…I left my car at home."

She arched an eyebrow. "How'd you get to school?"

"The bus," he answered nonchalantly.

Sharpay smirked, rolling her eyes. "Whatever," she said and got to her feet.

Troy watched as she crossed over to the wings and disappeared behind the curtains, resting his elbows on the surface of the stage. A moment later, the spotlights were switched off, and the whole theatre turned pitch black. The only source of light came from the green exit sign above the door. He could hear the clacking sound of Sharpay's heels and squinted his cerulean blue eyes, locating her curvy silhouette descending the steps at the side of the stage.

"You ready to go?"

"Yeah," he replied. "After you."

They headed over to the parking lot without conversing, but Troy was just contented with being next to Sharpay, and he couldn't believe how comfortable it felt—even though there seemed to be a fragment of uncertainty in the air. He no longer felt that superior authority that Sharpay would give off a week or so ago. She was…human.

**If you're running  
****In the wrong direction  
****I will lead you back**

Ten minutes into the journey and Troy felt that it was a little too quiet in the car. The stereo was playing random preppy pop songs that didn't exactly suit the environment, but it didn't look as though Sharpay was really paying any attention to it—more like she needed some kind of noise or sound to drown out the silence. Outwardly, Troy portrayed a façade of extreme composure. Inwardly though, was a realm of infinite questions that ached to be released.

"Can I ask you something?"

Sharpay didn't take her eyes off the road. "What is it?"

"Promise me you won't get mad."

She sighed, mildly irritated. "If you keep sounding like a girl, I won't be able to make any guarantees."

"Ouch," he winced, receiving a smirk in return. He saw that as something positive and continued, "how are you feeling?"

Sharpay clicked her tongue. "Not again, Troy—"

"Shar…"

His sincerely concerned voice made her take a sideways glance at him. "I've told you before, I'm fine."

"Do you feel weak or having blurry visions? Does your head feel heavy at all? Do you need some water or—"

"Troy!" she cut in. "I said I'm fine, alright? Just shut up before I eject you out of the car."

"No, you can't—"

Sharpay slammed on the brakes, bringing the convertible to a screeching halt in the middle of the road. The seatbelt was the only thing that kept Troy from colliding into the dashboard, knocking the wind out of him.

"Get out!"

He blinked, caught totally off guard. "What? Shar—"

"You're annoying the fucking hell out of me, Basketball Boy," she snapped. "You're a pain in my ass! Get out of my car this instant or so God help me—"

"I'm sorry."

"Who do you think you are invading in my privacy and—"

"I'm sorry."

"When I specifically tell you to just mind your own damn pile of shit but—"

"I said I'm sorry, Sharpay!" he yelled out, losing all of his patience on her. "I shouldn't have been such a nosy prick about the situation but I only did it because I care. I was so worried about you all day; I couldn't even sit in the class one second without thinking about how you were doing, or if you'd eaten some food. Heck, I was sure that you'd probably thrown that sandwich into the bin the moment I left—"

"I ate it."

Although she was muttering under her breath, barely audible, he still heard it, and a surge of satisfaction glowed in his heart. A small lump began to form in his throat, honored that she'd appreciated his mundane efforts. Sharpay started driving again, and Troy stole a glimpse over at her stunning profile.

**Broken  
****Shattered like a mirror  
****In a million pieces  
****Sooner or later  
****You've got to find  
****Something, someone  
****To find you and save you**

"Thanks," she added softly.

Troy cocked his head to one side. "For what?"

"For, you know, everything."

A smile grew on his lips. "Don't worry about it, Shar. I mean, you're fine, right?"

"Troy…"

"What?"

She didn't say anything else, but Troy saw her roll her eyes in that trademark diva way of hers that she'd honed and perfected. He used to despise it so much because it just shadowed her beauty, but now he found it sort of adorable, maybe because she was doing it with only half as much commitment.

**When you're lost in the dark  
****When you're out in the cold  
****When you're looking for something that resembles your soul  
****When the wind blows your house of cards  
****I'll be a home to your homeless heart**

Ten minutes later, they were at the outskirts of town where the lower end of the people lived. It wasn't as royal or grand as that of where Sharpay came from, or as typical as the middle class houses in Troy's neighbourhood, but it wasn't as shabby as Threshold Park either. The streets were quiet and peaceful with one or two small houses at each corner surrounded by wired fences. The roads were dimly lit by the minimal street lamps placed sparsely around the place. Troy wasn't familiar with this side of town. In fact, he faintly remembered his solitary journey here with his mum. She'd wanted to deliver some chicken soup to a working colleague who was 'down in the dumps'—pun intended.

"Where's this place?" he wondered out loud after failing to find a signpost.

"Roscoe's Hill," she replied, slowing down to a stop in front of a tiny but cozy-looking residence. "Here we are."

"Your housekeeper lives here?"

"We did offer to get her a bigger house somewhere nearer, but she really preferred her home right here," Sharpay explained, killing the engine and unclasped her seatbelt.

Troy followed suit and they got out of the convertible. "Erm…aren't you afraid for your car?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "People can try to steal it if they want to. I've got a tracker attached to it."

"Right, of course."

If she'd heard that, she was definitely pretending not to.

There was a slight creak when Sharpay pushed open the steel gate, a red mailbox attached to it with rusty metal wires, and a cute pathway—aligned with smooth rocks—welcomed them up to the front door of the house. While she pressed the doorbell, Troy checked the area out. The lawn grass was neatly trimmed and there was a small flower bed at one corner where sunflowers, daisies and roses bloomed healthily. A small rubber ball sat in isolation over by an open tap. The house itself was painted a sunny shade of yellow and sky blue—a classic that reminded Troy so much of his grandparents' place over in Utah—and he instantly noticed the mouth-watering aroma of gravy wafting out.

"Stop drooling, dork," Sharpay teased.

Instinctively, Troy reached up to touch the corner of his lips, only to find that there wasn't any saliva trailing down his face. Narrowing his sapphire eyes at her, he playfully slapped the back of her head—not hard enough to physically hurt her but also not gentle enough to cause a disaster to her blonde hair—receiving a horrific shriek in return. Sharpay retaliated by continuously hitting his shoulder, and before either of them realized it, they were engaged in a full-blown childish version of Battle of the Sexes.

Suddenly, the door opened, and the two teenagers froze like deer caught in the headlights.

"Sharpay?"

In the doorway stood Mrs. Collingsworth herself, looking very much amused at the sight. Though Troy had never met her before, he could tell that she was a relatively nice lady with a warm smile to match.

"Mrs. C!" Sharpay exclaimed, jumping away from the basketball player.

Mrs. Collingsworth extended her arms out to give the blonde girl a hug, while Troy awkwardly jammed his hands into the pockets of his pants, watching the acquaintance between the two of them.

"It's so nice to see you here. How are you, my dear?"

Sharpay shrugged her petite shoulders. "I'm fine."

"You look exhausted," the older woman observed, capturing Sharpay's face in her wrinkled palms for closer examination.

"I had a long day in school."

"What have you been doing? Dealing with drugs? Smoking pot? Vandalizing the cafeteria walls? Sleeping with your teacher?" she teased, and Troy detected the slight British/Scottish accent.

Troy raised his eyebrows, surprised by how casual Mrs. Collingsworth was handling the situation—and more so how flippant she was being about social issues among the teenagers of this century. But most importantly, he was astounded by the proximity in the friendship between Sharpay Evans and her housekeeper. It would sound really dogmatic of him, but he'd always had this impression of the Drama Queen as being a bratty diva at home—probably ordering her servants around to do her chores for her while all she would do is paint her nails all day.

"Actually, today's Harassing the Principal Day for me," Sharpay told her, trying to sound as grave as possible.

Mrs. Collingsworth chuckled. "I bet that ain't easy."

Sharpay just flipped her silky blonde hair airily. "Oh, I had my work cut out for me, but the old man cracked up eventually."

"Gosh if I knew you were coming I'd make some extra dinner. And you've brought company too. Well, well, who have you got there?" Mrs. Collingsworth asked, nodding at Troy. "A partner in crime?"

His lips twitched up in a snicker as he held his right hand out. "I'm Troy Bolton, ma'am. Sharpay and I go to the same school."

After shaking his hand, the housekeeper leaned over to Sharpay. "He's better than that Zeke What's-His-Face who keeps stalking you with Crème Brulee," she muttered.

Sharpay just clicked her tongue and winked playfully at Troy.

"Goodness, I should've invited you kids in first. Jeepers, where are my manners?" Mrs. Collingsworth ushered them into the house. "Come on in. I have to apologize, though, for the small space and the lack of technology."

Sharpay rolled her brown orbs. "She didn't have a cellphone till I bought one for her two weeks ago."

Troy pretended to shiver. "Oh, the horror!"

He received another smack to his back. "Shut up!"

The short entryway opened up to a cozy, carpeted living room. It was kind of miniature—like an old dollhouse—the striped wallpapers a pale shade of lemon and ivory were neatly lined up with framed photographs. Most of the pictures were fading, and the rest that weren't were already black and white. The room was big enough to fit two dusky armchairs, a wooden coffee table in the middle—covered in scratch marks that seemed to date back decades ago—and an old outdated television that sat on an antique drawer. There weren't any windows, but the circular light that came with the ceiling fan provided the place with plenty of illumination.

"Where's Mr. Collingsworth?" Sharpay asked.

"He's out getting some milk at the grocery store."

"Where's Lucy?"

That caught Troy's attention, and he snapped his head around to look at Sharpay. He'd been wondering about this 'Lucy' the entire night, wondering if she was another one of her 'little' friends, spending at least three hours thinking of possible tragic life stories.

Sharpay was beaming in anticipation and excitement, and there was nothing more beautiful that he'd ever seen in the world.

"She should be around here somewhere," Mrs. Collingsworth said with a twinkle in her eye.

"Lucy! Lucy, where are you? Lucy!" Sharpay called out.

Troy was expecting a braided girl in a nice pink dress to be skipping out from the bedroom, but all he heard was the sound of heavy panting getting louder, and his curiosity escalated.

"Aww…there you are! Come here, girl!"

A shaggy Border Collie bounded animatedly—and very clumsily—into the living room, her tongue wagging out with drool dripping everywhere on the carpet. When she got closer, she slowed down and started sniffing around.

"I'm right here, girl!" Sharpay egged on, slapping her hands against her thighs to get the canine's attention. "Come here, Lucy!"

It took Lucy a while before she finally came to a stop in front of Sharpay, who knelt down immediately to give the dog an affectionate hug. "How are you, Lucy? Have you been a good girl, huh, have you?" she cooed, granting the pet a well-deserved scratch behind her ears.

Troy hadn't even realized that his mouth was hanging. "That—that's Lucy?" he croaked.

Sharpay glanced up at him, nodding enthusiastically. "Yeah!"

"Wait, wait—I thought—"

She cocked her head to one side, regarding him with interest. "You thought…?"

Troy ruffled his copper-coloured hair. "Never mind."

"You dears make yourselves at home, alright? I'll just go to the kitchen and make some hot chocolate," Mrs. Collingsworth said before turning at the corner to where the dining area was.

"Why don't we take a seat?" Sharpay suggested, moving over to sit in the armchair, Lucy hot on her heels.

Troy occupied the other empty armchair and just watched the interaction between the girl and the dog. Instantly, he saw the life return in Sharpay's hazel eyes. It was amazing—who would've thought that she was an animal person? He figured that she'd probably run a thousand miles—in her stilettos—just to get away from a flea-infested canine, but here she was, tenderly examining Lucy, affectionately checking her heavy coat of fur for ticks and sorts.

"You're not a fan of dogs?"

Shrugging his shoulders, he said, "I'm okay with them."

Sharpay gave him an assuring smile. "You can go ahead and pat her if you want. She won't bite you. Just let her sniff your hand first—that's how she remembers people."

Troy did as she said and stuck his hand out in front of Lucy's nozzle, feeling the cool moisture as she sniffed him out, and then guardedly licked his fingers, leaving a trail of saliva behind. "It tickles," he told her, chuckling.

"She likes you."

Troy tilted his head to face her. "Yeah?"

She bobbed her head up and down. "Sure. Give her a good rub behind her ears. She loves that."

He hesitated for a moment before doing as she suggested, causing the dog to pant in contentment. "How old is she?"

"Two and a half years, I suppose, that's what the vet said."

Lucy suddenly whimpered, and Troy immediately drew his hand back, for fear that he might unconsciously hurt the dog.

"It's okay, Lucy, I'm here," Sharpay said soothingly, patting her lap. Lucy directed her head in all directions before going over to sit on the blonde girl's feet. "Lucy's just scared that I'm going to leave, so she's making sure that I'm still here."

"Why does she need to make sure that you're here? Can't she see that for herself?"

Sharpay's eyes snapped up to meet Troy's cerulean ones. "Lucy's blind. She can't see anything."

"Then why—how does she—"

"She relies on her sense of smell and hearing to guide her."

"What happened to her?"

Sadness automatically washed upon her features as she stared down lovingly at her furry friend. A pained look replaced what joy that was once present, glassing her almond-shaped eyes with tears.

"I was taking the trash out at the orphanage, in the alleyway and I heard a sound—a sad sound, pleading for help—the most innocent of sound that I couldn't deny in a million years. I went over to check on it, and I saw, in a cardboard box was a puppy—a newborn puppy whose eyes weren't even opened yet—whimpering in the corner. It was shivering from the cold and I couldn't believe how people could be so cruel to these creatures. What wrong have they done by coming into this world, empty of sin? She was badly abused—scalded by hot water, and there were cigarette bud marks everywhere—including her eyes. I couldn't bear to see it like that, its life drained away in torture, and so I brought her straight to the nearest vet."

**When you're lost in the dark  
****When you're out in the cold  
****When you're looking for something that resembles your soul  
****When the wind blows your house of cards  
****I'll be a home to your homeless heart**

Sharpay paused, her voice faltering, tears streaming down her cheeks, and she sniffled. Lucy, as though sensing her distress, let out a soft bark and climbed up on Sharpay's lap before licking the tears away. "I'm okay, girl," Sharpay whispered to the dog, gently stroking her while Troy waited patiently for her to continue.

"The vet said that Lucy was lucky to even be alive, considering how badly her situation was, and it was going to take a while before the dog would recover. However, the vet wasn't sure if Lucy was ever going to get over the trauma even though she'd been just a little puppy, so she was certain Lucy wasn't going to pull through at all costs. But then, as the little thing lay down on the examination table, looking so helpless, I couldn't let myself do it. There was no way that dog was going to be put to sleep, because that voice—that voice that called out to me—was so full of hope, I just couldn't take it away from her."

She took a deep breath to compose herself. "It was hard at first, because Lucy constantly needed to be checked on, and I couldn't afford that. I had considered taking her to the animal hospital, but it was way too expensive and my parents wouldn't agree to it, but I had to do something. Thankfully, I had Mrs. Collingsworth to help me with feeding her, checking on her and everything else. My mum wouldn't want anything to do with Lucy—she hated dogs—and so I wasn't allowed to keep her. Mrs. C volunteered to take care of Lucy, and I'd come by everyday to check on her. She's my baby, and I love her more than anything."

"Well, she got better right? And now she's so healthy and all—"

"She almost didn't make it. I could tell that Lucy was giving up hope on herself. Losing her eyesight made everything much more difficult—it's almost as if she'd already died. But I wasn't going to let it happen. Every night, I'd talk to Lucy. I'd sing to her and I'd tell her how special she is, and that she was going to grow up and be the best dog in the world," Sharpay went on. "It was as if someone heard me—heard the both of us—and before I knew it, Lucy got better and stronger…it's such an amazing feeling!"

**When you're looking for something that resembles your soul  
****When the wind blows your house of cards  
****I'll be a home to your homeless heart**

Troy reached over and scratched the back of Lucy's ear again. "You're the world's luckiest dog, Lucy, you know that?"

The dog barked once, making both teenagers laugh.

"She does now," Sharpay said, smiling. Then she turned her head to face him. "Lucy's taught me more than I did myself. She made me human."

Troy grinned warmly at her and their gazes interlocked.

There it was again.

The way she looked at him.

_She made me human._

It was something he'd remember forever.

Breaking eye contact, he got off the armchair and knelt down on his knees in front of Sharpay, then leaned in so that his mouth was right next to Lucy's ear. He murmured, "thank you."

"I'm back!"

Both Troy and Sharpay swiveled their heads around at the direction of the voice. Lucy instantaneously jumped out of the armchair and bounded over towards the door, yapping away. Troy figured that it had to be Mr. Collingsworth, just returned from the grocery store.

"Whoa there, Lucy. What's got you all jazzed up, huh?"

A middle-aged man stepped into the living room with a brown paper back tucked in one arm. He was wearing an old baseball cap with a plaid button-down shirt and jeans. The leather boots that he wore made heavy stomping sounds as he walked, but despite that intimidating sound, his wrinkled face bore a grin as wide as the Cheshire cat.

"Well, look who we have here!"

Sharpay hopped out of the seat and crossed the room to give the old man a fond hug—one that Troy would've given his grandfather. "Albert!" she cried out.

"Hi there, sport! What brings you here today?" Albert Collingsworth brightly asked.

"I really miss Lucy, and it's been quite a while since I last came over."

"Well, this place ain't like the city area with all those tall buildings and big mansions. There's nothing fun for you youngsters to do here anyways," he said, and Troy picked out a slight Tennessee accent.

Sharpay giggled. "Mr. C, I'd like you to meet Troy Bolton. He's a friend from school."

Troy extended his hand out for Mr. Collingsworth to shake. "Nice to meet you, sir."

"That's quite a handshake you got there, son. You into sports?"

"I play basketball for East High," he answered modestly.

"He's captain of the team," Sharpay added on.

"Well, that's one up against the baker boy," Mr. Collingsworth chuckled good-naturedly.

Troy was about to open his mouth and ask what that meant, but as soon as he saw Sharpay roll her eyes in that absolutely adorable way of hers, he got what Mr. Collingsworth was talking about.

Mrs. Collingsworth suddenly emerged. "Oh good, Albert, you're back with the milk. I just remembered that I had some leftover cookie batter in the fridge, but it'll take a while to bake and then we could all have milk and cookies."

"Sounds great, Mrs. C!" Sharpay chirped.

"Alright then, I'll be in the study room. There are some paperwork that I've yet to complete," Mr. Collingsworth announced, handing the bag of groceries over to Sharpay. "Call me when the cookies are done."

"Are you fine to stay a while more, Troy?" the old lady asked.

"Of course!"

"Great, then. Sharpay, maybe you could help me in the kitchen for a while?"

"Sure," she agreed, and then glanced over at Troy. "You'll be fine alone with Lucy, right?"

"Oh yeah, of course."

"Okay." And with one final amused look, she exited the room.

Lucy was lying down at a corner of the room, trying to scratch an itchy spot with her paw when Troy decided he should probably lend a hand. He sat cross-legged on the floor and helped the dog with her small problem.

"Can I ask you something, Lucy?"

The Border Collie didn't answer him, but he went on anyways.

"How does it feel to be loved by Sharpay?"

This time, Lucy barked in response—a short delighted bark.

Troy grinned. "I thought so too."

* * *

**A/N:** Firstly, OH MY GOD, I literally cried writing that bit about Lucy. I'm serious! I had to imagine the scenario and all before I could actually write it, and I just couldn't stop the tears from flowing even as I was typing it out. And the song…dang the song! Go listen to it! It's a beautiful song…

Song used — "Homeless Heart" by Jeanette McCurdy

**LoveIsLost29: **Hi there! Hehe…the image of Troy carrying Sharpay is just such a wonderful moment! Damn that Troy and his perfection! I hope Troypay works out too (don't worry, it usually does…hint, hint!) and Ryan…should we just get a bus to run him over? No, that would be too mean, right? Let's just give him another chance…and then we can decide again. Haha…hope you like this update!

**Stessa: **Oh wow! Thank you so much! I'm really flattered…you know sometimes, I get this pressure that the future chapters wouldn't match up to expectation and I'd be biting my nails each time I get an alert that a review had been posted. Seriously, I just want nothing but the best for my readers, I mean you guys have given me so much support, the least I could do is provide a chapter that's worth reading! That scene about the attack, was a difficult scene to write because I've never experience such symptoms and I don't know how it feels like, but I need to make it seem as realistic as possible. I get inspired by all types of books and then I try to make things mine. It's a challenge but I like it, and I'm glad you liked it too! Hope you like this chapter! It's somewhat my favourite because it's so personal to me.

**The Summer Breeze: **Hi girl! I haven't heard from you in a while…hehe! Thank you so much for the review! I can't really tell you much without revealing the rest of the story, so…but I'm sure this chapter answers your question about Sharpay forgiving Troy and all...tell me what you think of this chapter, yeah?

**Clotisy: **I just love reading your reviews! They're always an inspiration to me! And yes, I've dedicated a part of this chapter to you because you've given me the idea of calling Ryan 'Jazz Square' and I just loved it so much, I've decided to include it into the story! Anyway, Ryan loves Sharpay no matter what—he just, doesn't really like the idea of Troy being in the picture. I'll make sure he gets over it, and if he doesn't we'll then throw him off he bridge together with Jumanji! Haha…don't worry, you're perfectly normal to be 'aww-ing' at that scene. I was just itching to get that scene in writing that I think I zipped past it, then double-checked it for error and then polished it up again! But at least now Troy has a feeling that there's something wrong with Sharpay—it's like another secret, just that he doesn't know it yet. I told my sister about the 'pancake maker' blooper and she rolled on the floor laughing. I think you just made her day! But then again, I'm really honoured that despite being tired and all, you've endured it just to read the story—and still review! Thank you so much! MUAKX!! Hehe…mime, huh? That just gives me an idea for a Troy moment! Haha…hope you like this chapter!

**Sezq: **Sing with me! Feels like insomniaaaaaaaaa…feels like insomniaaaaaaaa…hee…sorry! I couldn't help it! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing at 4 in the morning! You're such a sweetheart! I hope you've managed to sleep peacefully after reviewing the previous chapter! Ryan's being annoying, isn't he? That twat! You'd better catch some sleep, honey, alright? This story will still be up on when you wake up the next morning :P Don't worry!

**Yayyeness: **Oh, shoots, I'm so sorry! The meaning of the song is really deep and I'm not sure how to explain this, but I'll give it a shot. See, Sharpay is already in the brink of…pain. She already has these symptoms and all, but she's determined not to let that get in her way…so the line 'do not lean over the ledge' reflects it. She's trying to not think about it. She's already dealing with so much that when Ryan broke the news to her about Troy telling Chad, she refused to believe because she didn't want to deal with anything more, 'the name of the game is outrunning the blame'. And when she gets the attack, it was too much to bear, and so it goes 'this love weighs fifty men'. 'oh why can't you take me in your arms'…she just wishes someone would take the life out of her. 'I'm desperate today and it's making me pay for your lips, for your kiss, for your bed' states that all this began just because of a moment's weakness that night at the party. So that's as much as I can analyse right now, but obviously it's much more than that, but I hope I get to answer some of your queries :D

**62toasters62: **Hi there! Haha…I definitely remembered that because, hey, I did eventually change the rating of the story to 'M' and I feel more freedom to express the story the way it should be rather than worry about the rating. So thank you so much for that suggestion! You have made this story morph into something beyond what I'd imagined from where I first started the fanfic! Thank you so much for remembering my story, I'm really flattered! Thank you so much!! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter!

**Virmett: **Thank you so much! You are officially my favourite newcomer reviewer! You've interacted with this story, and you've interacted with me. And thank you so much for the list of songs, I'll DEFINITELY consider them for my future chapters! In fact, I did want to include 'Bring Me To Life' and 'Leave out all the rest' in my previous chapters, and the fact that you're suggesting them makes me want to slot the songs in somewhere in my story! 'The Letter' is the sweetest song I've ever heard and it's just so…sweet! Thank you so much for contributing, I mean, like I've said so many times, I can write the stories, but it's my readers that makes it happen for me. And you're right on about the observation on Sharpay's attacks. The emotional blows (yes, I understood that perfectly, there's nothing wrong with your English at all!) are a form of trigger to her attacks, and with so much drama in her life, it could only get more frequent. Hope you like this chapter! Don't stop giving me ideas, alright? I love them!


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: **OMG I'm so sorry for keeping this chapter on hold for SO long! Seriously, I've been juggling between work (I'm working in an advertising company by the way, and it's full of late nights and stuff) and my dance rehearsals (I have a production coming up in 2 months) and it's just insane! I know the Troypay craze is sort of dying after HSM3 and all, but I'm still determined to finish this story no matter how long it'll take me (yikes!).

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 20**

It was dark by the time they left Mrs. Collingsworth's house, and Troy stood by the doorway, watching with his hands stuffed in his pockets as Sharpay said her goodbyes to the older woman and her husband before kneeling down to give Lucy a heartfelt hug.

"You be a good girl now, okay, Lucy? Please listen to Mr. and Mrs. C and try not to get into trouble, alright? I love you so much! I'll be back soon," the blonde girl told her favourite canine, giving the dog a satisfying scratch behind her ears.

"Thank you for having me over, Mrs. Collingsworth," Troy said graciously. "The cookies were delicious."

"Anytime, dear," Mrs. Collingsworth smiled warmly, pulling him in for a motherly embrace. "It's a pleasure having you over. I'm glad you had a great time here."

"It's kind of hard not to when I was kicking Sharpay's butt in Jenga," the basketball captain snickered. He felt a sharp slap on his forearm and turned to face a very un-amused Sharpay glaring back at him, her competitive side taking over.

"Lucy knocked my hand over—"

"Now, now, let's not go blaming the innocent dog. Be the bigger person, Shar and just admit defeat, will you?"

Troy's mocking pout earned him another whack to the back of his head. "Shut up, you obnoxious freak," she retorted as everyone else laughed at her expense. Getting annoyed, she grabbed Troy's wrist and gave it a tug. "Let's go before you start to enjoy this some more."

They waved their final goodbyes and then headed over to Sharpay's car, which surprisingly—to Troy—was still unscathed. He stood at the pavement awkwardly; suddenly unsure of what he had to do. Going home was the top option, but he was in a neighbourhood that was foreign to him. He wasn't even sure if there were buses that actually came by the area. Glancing around self-consciously, he noticed how much darker the place was compared to that of his vicinity. In the silence of the night and the solitude of the streets, he could hear the distant barking of wild dogs and wondered if he'd get out of this place alive.

"Aren't you going to get in?"

Sharpay's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Erm…I—"

"Do you think I was going to just leave you here?" she asked rhetorically, and under the faint light, Troy could see her arch an eyebrow incredulously. "I'll give you a ride home."

"You sure about that, Shar? I mean, you've been giving me rides home and all, and I feel kind of bad for it, I mean, letting you drive and—"

He was cut off when Sharpay unfastened her seatbelt and got out of the driver's side of the car to stand directly in front of him.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Okay then, you drive."

"What?"

"You heard me," Sharpay said, rolling her cocoa-coloured eyes. "Drive."

"Wait, you want _me_ to drive _your_ car? Me. Drive. Your. Car," he repeated, properly enunciating his words to make sure she heard him right. More importantly, he was trying to convince himself that he wasn't just hearing things.

She grew impatient and trudged over to the passenger's side of her sleek black convertible. "Just get your ass in the damn car before I change my mind about it."

Troy didn't need to be told twice, though he was still trying to recover from initial shock. Sliding into the posh leather of the driver's seat, he couldn't believe that Sharpay would trust him enough to handle her car all the way back to his house. He didn't know whether to be frightened or privileged. Hands mildly trembling, he reached over to fasten his seatbelt, feeling it quiver a little more as he turned the key in the ignition and hearing the convertible rev up.

He cleared his throat nervously. "Are you sure about this?"

"You wreck my car and you're more than dead, you hear me?" was all the warning he needed from her.

"Yes, ma'am."

**How can you see into my eyes like open doors?  
Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb  
Without a soul, my spirit sleeping somewhere cold  
Until you find it there and lead it back home**

Before long, they were cruising down the highway, feeling the cool sensation of the night air brushing against their faces and dancing through their hair. Sharpay had her radio tuned to a local station that was playing random oldies as they kept up the comfortable silence in the car. Occasionally, she'd hum along to the songs, and it didn't cease to amaze him how incredible her voice was. He gave her a sidelong glance from the corner of his cerulean blue eyes and noticed the easy smile that was playing on her lips—as if all the drama from the day had magically vanished into thin air. She seemed so at ease just sitting there basking in the serenity that the beauty of it all took his breath away.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked softly, afraid to break the fragility of the moment.

"The musical. Lucy. Lily. The orphanage."

Troy grinned, almost in relief that she had replied him—glad that she was opening up. "You excited for the musical?"

Sharpay nodded her head, holding her blonde hair down from the wind. "Yeah. Actually, I'm more excited for the orphanage. It's going to help them so much with the rent and everything. Carmen's been struggling for so long, you know, trying to keep the orphanage up and running, and they deserve so much more than that rundown place they got there. I've been wanting to help for so long, but there was only so much that I could do, and I know it wasn't enough—"

She stopped short the second she felt his hand enclose hers.

"I think it's amazing what you've done for the orphanage," he told her sincerely in all his seriousness, keeping his eyes on the road. "And you're right. There was only so much you can do, but think about it—you're about to do so much more, Shar."

Sharpay slid her hand out of his grasp, as if suddenly uneasy with the proximity. "Thanks," she murmured, then let out a sigh. "If only there's a way I can help without having to write up a detailed proposal by Thursday afternoon."

"What proposal?"

"The one to change the musical into a fund-raising event for the orphanage," she explained, turning the volume of the stereo down. "Mrs. Darbus needs a proposal, complete with budget estimates, sponsor list, a breakdown of production cost—which I shouldn't worry about since we already have that from the previous proposal, so I just have to tweak it a little—and all the other crap such as what the school would gain from this, what would the orphanage gain from this, how it builds the community, blah, blah, blah. It's insane!" Sharpay flung her hands up in the air in an exaggerated manner.

"I can help you," he volunteered.

"You." She glanced over at him, totally unconvinced by his noble attempt. "You want to help."

It wasn't exactly a question, though, but he answered anyways. "Yeah, I can help you with the proposal if you want."

"You seriously want to help."

"Look, if you don't want me to help, it's okay—" he began, slightly offended.

"No, no, I didn't mean that," Sharpay quickly said. "I just didn't think you'd actually mean it, you know. I'm sorry, I shouldn't—fine, alright, sure you can help if you want to."

"Aren't you going to say 'thank you'?" he added just for kicks.

"I'm not _that_ generous tonight."

Troy snickered as he brought the convertible to a stop in front of his house and shut the engine. "Not a single scratch on your precious car," he declared proudly.

"I'm impressed," Sharpay commented sarcastically, getting out of her side to walk over to other side.

"Thank you."

"That's generous."

He laughed as he got out of the car to step onto the concrete pavement as she came over to lean against her black BMW. "Look, why don't you come over to my place tomorrow at around four, and then we can work on some of that stuff for the proposal."

"Four? Can't I come by right after school?"

"No."

"Why—"

"Ryan's going to be home."

"Right," Troy nodded, suddenly awkward mentioning her brother. "Ryan."

**Wake me up  
(Wake me up inside)  
I can't wake up  
(Wake me up inside)  
Save me  
(Call my name and save me from the dark)**

Seconds felt like minutes as they stood there, both teenagers looking at anything and everything—the ground, the velvet sky, the road—but each other. Troy wished the ground would just open up and swallow him whole. He was very aware of the obvious fact that Sharpay's twin brother despises his guts. Ryan had made that detail completely clear over the last couple of days—and more so earlier that day in the nurse's office—he didn't want Troy anywhere near his beloved sister. Troy was already bending the rules on that one just by being in a meter radius of her at the moment; he didn't want to get into anymore unfortunate encounters with the overprotective sibling.

"I should probably get home now."

Troy's ocean blue eyes snapped up to meet her bronze ones, and he could see the guilt in those gorgeous orbs. For a split second, he tilted his head, trying to contemplate what she was guilty about, but before he could open his mouth to ask her anything about it, she'd turned around and slid into the driver's seat.

The engine silkily purred to life.

**Wake me up  
(Bid my blood to run)  
I can't wake up  
(Before I come undone)  
Save me   
(Save me from the nothing I've become) **

"Sharpay, wait!"

He hadn't realized that lunging over to grab the top of her door would startle her so much, and instantly his face turned apologetic as she glared up at him. "What?" she snapped.

"Sorry, did I scare you?" he asked softly, his face hovering inches from hers, and he could see every point of her features—her long eyelashes, her flushed cheeks, the perfect bridge of her nose, her succulent lips—and if it was even possible, she was more ethereal than ever.

The intensity of her glare didn't waver in the least bit. "What do _you_ think?"

"Look, I didn't mean to. I just…" he trailed off, his attention suddenly fixated on a single part of her anatomy.

"What? You just what?" she demanded, folding her arms across her chest.

Then, before he could stop himself, Troy closed the gap between them and placed a sweet, gentle kiss on her lips—one so painfully innocent that he could only hope it meant more to her than just a random act on impulse.

"Don't hit me," he murmured, resting his forehead against hers.

"You have to stop this, Troy."

And just like that, she pulled away so abruptly that he stumbled backwards on the pavement and watched on slightly disoriented as she put the car into gear and drove away. Troy stayed where he was for a full three minutes, trying to pull himself together, knowing ahead of time that he was going to have a really good night's sleep.

**Now that I know what I'm without  
You can't just leave me  
Breathe into me and make me real  
Bring me to life  
**

* * *

"Shar—"

"Don't talk to me, Ryan!" she spat out, storming right past her brother to head up to her room, hoping that the twat would just leave her alone.

But no, the _Jazz Square_ had to be stuck with the insistent gene as well.

"I was just looking out for you, Shar," he tried to explain as he followed her up the stairs. Although he was trying to sound like a caring person, his tone had a hint of pent-up frustration that told her everything she needed to know about his sense of dominance. "I was worried about you, alright? I _still_ am worried about you. Troy isn't who you think he is. I know he's being all nice towards you and sorts, but I'm telling you, Shar, there's more to it than just this sick game that he's playing at—"

**I've been living a lie  
There's nothing inside  
Bring me to life**

Sharpay didn't bother looking at him before she slammed her bedroom door in his face, her message couldn't be anymore clearer than it already was. Alas, to a thick-skinned, hard-headed twin brother, it wasn't obvious enough, for he began pounding on her door. Sharpay growled, tossing her bag aside and trying her best to ignore the being she had the misfortune to be related to. She threw herself down on her soft bed, burying her face into the fluffy pillow to block out the noise. Ryan's muffled voice was commanding her to open the door, spitting out empty threats if she didn't comply with his request.

"Fuck, Ryan! Leave me alone!" she yelled.

His words were lost to her ears, but she was sure he'd mentioned something about tearing the door down if he needed to.

_Whatever._

"I don't want to see you hurt again, Sharpay."

She turned her head towards the door where Ryan stood with a hand on the knob. Cursing herself inwardly for her own carelessness, she let out a strangled groan and flopped back down on the bed, muttering incoherent profanities.

"Listen, Shar—"

"I don't want to listen to you, Ryan," she told him venomously. "Just get out of my room, okay?"

The stubborn twin brother of hers refused to take no for an answer, and instead crossed the room to plop himself down beside her. "He's trying to break you down, Shar, don't you get it?" he went on in that condescending tone of his that she despised so much, more so because she knew he was partially right. "He wants to bring your guard down and expose you to the whole school. He's scheming this with everyone else in school to humiliate you, Shar, to strip you off your status. Troy's going to destroy the reputation that you'd so painstakingly built in these past years and bring you down so hard there's no way to climb back up. Do you want that for yourself, Shar? Do you want to get hurt again? Because I don't. I don't want to be in the receiving end, watching you suffer, helping you piece back all the broken pieces."

His face contorted into a slight scornful expression. "Look at you now, Shar. This isn't you, alright. You've let yourself slip through. You've allowed Troy to see your weakness, and he's using it as a pawn. Why are you so naïve?"

Sharpay jumped to her feet, fixing her brother with a deep frown. "You don't know anything, Ryan, so just fuck off!"

"God, Shar! Are you that blind to everything around you?"

**All this time, I can't believe I couldn't see  
Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me  
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems  
Got to open my eyes to everything**

"I know what's going on around me, alright? I know what everyone's whispering about when they see me in the hallway. I can feel their scornful looks everytime I turn around, everywhere I go. I spark rumours that nobody would ever dare to admit to me, and I've lived with that before. I know what it feels like to hold such status in the school, where everybody doesn't see a bit of good in you, and I know what I'm risking here. But at one point of time, you get tired and lonely, and then one person comes by—be it under compromising circumstances or not—and you finally feel comfortable enough to be who you really are inside. Can you blame me if just this once, I don't want to care about what's going to happen?" Physically tired and mentally exhausted, Sharpay flopped back down on the bed, tugging on the Ryan's sleeve. "Is it so wrong to learn to trust somebody?"

Even in his obdurateness, there was compassion and love. "You can trust me, Shar."

"It's not the same, Ryan. You're my brother. I'm obligated to trust you no matter what—"

"Then why aren't you trusting me when I say Troy isn't who you think he is?" he lashed out.

"Why aren't you trusting me to make my own decision?"

"I just can't sit back and watch you get hurt again."

"You can't or you won't?" she shot back.

"Damnit, Sharpay!"

**Without thought, without voice, without a soul  
Don't let me die here  
There must be something more  
Bring me to life**

"All my life, Ryan, I've made decisions because I have to. Now, I have a choice that I want to make for myself, and the last thing I need is for you to doubt me. It's time you realize that I have to take off my training wheels and be on my own." She gazed at her brother, pleading for him to let her go. He tore his eyes away from hers, and she instantly knew what it meant. Sharpay felt her insides crumble to pieces, stung by his rancor. "I'm not asking you for anything Ryan, I just need you to trust me—just fully trust me,"

"I can't let you do that."

Her reply was barely an audible whisper. "What?"

"There are certain people whom you can and can't trust."

"And you're saying Troy's one of them?"

"Have you seriously forgotten all the pain he'd caused you, Shar? All the late nights you'd spent crying in your room over something he didn't even give a shit about? Does he know hoe much he'd hurt you before?"

Sharpay looked away, unable to answer his question.

"That's what I thought," Ryan murmured, then gently held his sister's hand. "You can't trust Troy Bolton, Shar. He's already told Chad about your secret, there's no telling who else he's going to expose you to—"

"He's not—"

"Believe me. It'll be all over school in no time—"

"I don't care—"

"You're giving everybody a reason to bring you down—"

"I'm not ashamed of who I am, Ryan! For once, I want to prove to people that I'm not just some blonde bitch in school—that I have a heart. I've been letting people manipulate me into becoming who I am now, and I'm so sick of it! I'm not afraid of getting hurt if it means someone would understand who I really am."

**I've been living a lie  
There's nothing inside  
Bring me to life  
**

**

* * *

**

**A/N: **It's dry, I know, and I'm terribly sorry about it. This has got to be my worst chapter yet, although I did like the small Troypay interaction!

**62toasters62: **Hie! Hope you're still here…hehe…thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Hope you like this update!

**Stessa: **Thank you so much! It means so much to me that you thought the previous chapter was beautiful. I had to polish it up so many times over! Hehe…aww…you always know what to say! Hope this chapter kept your smile up!

**Virmett: **Seriously, I couldn't tell that you had a dictionary beside you when you review! Your sentences are really fluent :D I know, I love Lucy so much! I actually do know a border collie, he's my uncle's dog and his name's Farley. He's just so adorable! Whenever I come around to stay for the weekend, Farley would wait outside my bedroom door in the morning for me to wake up, and then he'd follow me to the kitchen 'cause he knows he'd get delicious sausages for breakfast! Haha…Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Oh yeah, and I'm finally able to use 'Bring me to life' in my chapter! Yay!

**Clotisy: **I know, right? Troy's like a character from Disney! Haha…okay, ignore my lack of humour…Jazz Square strikes again! Hmm…what should we do to him now? Should we bury him in termite's nest? Maybe we should just eject him in space…hehe…such evil thoughts…tsk tsk tsk…OMG the Cogsworth story's just hilarious! I told my sis that one too and she cracked up harder than pancake maker! Maybe I should use that joke somewhere in the story…hmm, yeah! I shall do that! Hope you like this update! Tell me what you think, yeah?

**Sezq: **The important thing is that…you reviewed! So there's nothing more that I can ask from you! Haha…love 'em border collies! Lucy's inspired by my uncle's dog, Farley (who's, yeah, you guessed it—a border collie!) but Farley isn't blind. He's just so cuddly and gentle and drools too much when we bring him out for car rides…haha! Hopefully Sharpay is nice enough to Troy in this chapter…hehehe…Hope you like this chapter!

**Neila cross: **Hi there! Thank you so much for reading my story, and I'm glad I got you hooked! I'm so sorry for the delay though, but rest assured, I'm not going to just abandon this story…I love exploring emotion—it gives the story a lot of layers and a lot of depth to work with too! Although the main bulk of the story is about Troypay, I guess I like to slip in small stories such as the orphanage and Lucy's abuse to create some sort of awareness (in my own way). And I think animal abuse is just unforgivable. I've seen documentaries on people killing animals and abusing them and all, and I just can't imagine what's going through these people's minds—they even kill and eat dogs in China! When I saw it on TV, I just went 'Fuck, these asses need to die'. Okay, on a lighter note now…hehe…there's no denying the resemblance between this story and A Walk to Remember, but there are definitely more twists and more drama to this!

Song used — "Bring me to Life" by Evanescence


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: **First and foremost, I'd like to apologise to everybody for taking a year to update this. I really didn't think it would take this long to get things done. A lot of stuff had been happening in my life, and I know I should've at least put in an author's note, but I decided to put this on hiatus without adding pressure to myself. Things have settled down somewhat and I've had more time for this story, more time to develop the storyline and details. So I truly hope that you guys would forgive me and enjoy this chapter :D

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 21**

Sharpay let out a huge yawn and rapidly blinked her strained eyes to keep them open while she stared at the glaring screen of her laptop. It was three in the morning but she was still awake—sat on her bed—a cup of freshly brewed Café Macchiato on the nightstand. She was barely halfway through the proposal but already the words were a jumbled mix of alphabets, making less of a sense as she continued.

_For the love of Pete, why? _she thought, then sighed.

She had a choice to work on that proposal the next day, in which she'd have Troy Bolton to help her out—whether she liked it or not—but she had always been a solitary worker, preferring to do everything on her own accord. Mainly because it reduces the possibility of any error, and Sharpay was intolerable to such unnecessary mistakes. Or it could be that she just despised human interaction, or more specifically human interaction that involved a certain high school jock, who probably didn't even know how to form a proper sentence, let alone assist her in crafting a flawless proposal.

**Felt the heat of the fire**

**Caught a cold from the rain**

However, deep down, she knew that the real reason why she didn't want to involve Mr. Basketball Captain was because she had always believed that she was a strong, independent person. She wanted—for once in her life—something that belonged to her, something that she could fight for. She wanted to prove to herself that she was still capable—still worthy—of handling her own problems. She didn't need some humdrum puberty-stricken being and his worthless two cents to get through this damn thing.

And then somewhere deeper inside her, in the unforeseen depths of her spirit and soul, was another reason why she didn't want Troy in her pit of mess: life was complicated enough without having to care about feelings. More importantly, surreal feelings that would ignite like fireworks every second she was with him. She didn't want these complications. She couldn't _afford_ it. There was absolutely no time for irrelevant distractions, especially one that came in an irritatingly handsome package—a package so juicily wrapped that it had taken an immense amount of willpower to restrain from tearing it open and ravaging it like a wild beast. What was it with that guy that made her acquire such strong emotions?

**Love just left me standing with nothing but a name**

**Picked my heart off the ground**

**As I said to the sky**

**Never will I let somebody**

**Ever make me cry**

Sighing, Sharpay lolled her head to one side, trying to release some of the trapped tension in her neck, though her efforts were hardly effective. Groaning, she reached up to gently massage her shoulder blades.

Just then, her cellphone rang.

Loudly.

Loud enough to wake the entire neighbourhood.

Sharpay growled in annoyance.

_Who the hell's calling me at this fucking hour? _She quickly snatched it up and answered the call without checking to see who it was.

_This nitwit better be having a grave dug out already._

"What the fuck?" she lashed out at the unsuspecting victim. "Haven't you heard of sleeping? It's what people do at night, and something you obviously don't comprehend!"

The person at the other end of the receiver laughed nervously. "Erm…sorry, did I wake you up?"

Sharpay's deep scowl turned blank in a mere second. "Damnit, Troy!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—alright, I'll let you get back to sleep, I mean, yeah—"

"Shut up, Bolton!" she interrupted, her agitation replaced with curiosity, though she was somewhat glad with the distraction. The line went silent, and Sharpay had to bite back the giggle that was threatening to escape. She suddenly found the situation rather amusing. "You have thirty seconds to entertain me with whatever it is that you need to satisfy before I hang up on you," she said, faking a bitter tone as best as she could—which wasn't really that difficult to begin with. She had had tons of practice.

"I really didn't mean to wake you up, Shar, honest! Please don't chew my ass tomorrow," Troy pleaded sincerely.

Sharpay propped herself higher against the headboard and set her computer down on the bed beside her. "Start talking and then maybe I'll reconsider," she told him with a smirk while she stretched her legs out in front of her.

"I didn't wake you up, right?"

"No, idiot, you didn't!"

"Alright, alright, just checking," he said. "I just—why are you still up so—wait, were you just working on the proposal?"

"Wow, good job, Sherlock Holmes," she replied sarcastically.

"At three in the morning?"

"What _else_ were you expecting me to be doing when you call me at this time of the night?" she snapped.

"Sleeping?" he answered meekly.

Sharpay rolled her eyes, forgetting that he couldn't see her. "And so with that reasoning you chose to call me, why?"

"I couldn't sleep."

**But just a smile from you**

**Tore though my defences**

The blonde girl shook her head in disbelief, but yet she just had to chuckle because he sounded so embarrassed by his confession and how ridiculous it sounded. "What?"

"I couldn't sleep, Shar. I just—I had to listen to your voice once more and—does that sound creepy to you?"

"Yes, Troy, it does. And a tad bit gay," she said, subconsciously tracing random patterns on the pink comforter with a finger.

"Fine," he huffed exaggeratedly. "Would you be disappointed if I were to tell you that I'm calling about the musical?"

"Oh, 'cause my ego _so_ lives on your drool and adoration. Right, I don't think so."

"Ouch! That hurts."

"It's supposed to," she grinned triumphantly, and she could hear Troy laughing good-naturedly at the other end of the line.

"So, anyway—" Troy resumed, clearing his throat. "With regards to the musical…"

"Yes?"

"I need help with my audition."

Sharpay's forehead creased as she tried to figure out what he possibly would need help with. "Troy, I don't think you need my help. You'll do just fine. In fact, I think you'll do perfect—"

"Shar, come on, I _really_ need help this time. I think I'll flunk this audition if you don't help me," he told her.

"Seriously? Says the guy who took the lead in Twinkletown?"

"Don't patronize me," he mumbled from the other end of the line.

"Look, what I'm trying to say is that, you're a really good actor, Bolton, and you know how I despise giving people compliments. I don't see why you need my help to get the part," she said with a shrug of her petite shoulders, and for dramatic effect—though nobody would see her—she threw her right hand in the air.

"Because it's going to be solos this time."

"What difference does it make to the partner auditions?" she insisted, reaching for her cup of coffee.

"Isn't it self-explanatory?" He was beginning to sound quite whiny too, like a little kid pleading his mum for a new toy.

Sharpay could practically picture him squirming at the moment—the kind where he would fidget everytime he got nervous—and in a rather sinister way, she really liked that in one instance or another, he was plain stupid. She took a sip of her drink and replied, "what is?"

"I mean the solos and partners part?"

"How so?"

"Could you please stop that?"

She smirked. "Stop what?"

"Shar…" This time, he really was whiny, but Sharpay was enjoying every second of this two-syllable torment. "Sharpay, I'm really in a crisis here. I can't do this audition alone. I _really_ need your help."

"Either way, Bolton, you'd still have to audition for the part all on your own," she told him. "I'm not going to pull some strings for you just because you're helping me with the fundraising idea."

The sigh that came from the other end of the line was a mix of frustration and hopelessness, but Sharpay was yet to back down. She took another sip of her warm beverage before setting it back down on the bedside table. "I just need you to run through some lines with me, alright? Look, I'm still new at this whole acting stuff, and this musical…it's different. There's this whole emotional side of me that I have to tap into, but I'm not sure how to do it."

"Troy, I don't think I—"

"Come on, Shar. I just need your help with some lines, that's all."

"I can't, okay? I'm already so busy—"

"I don't need a whole day. Just give me ten minutes of your time. That's all I'm asking for."

"No, Troy, I—"

"Shar, it's just ten minutes."

Sharpay glanced up at her ceiling and knew she was going to cave in. There was no denying Troy Bolton. "Ten minutes?"

"Just ten minutes, I swear," he promised.

**It made no sense**

**Now I gotta confide and tell the truth**

"Fine. Fine."

"Yes!" he cheered before clearing his throat again to maintain his manly composure—or lack thereof—and added in. "I owe you one, Shar."

"Whatever. Now stop hogging my line and go to sleep."

"Oh, just one more thing."

Sharpay arched an eyebrow, getting impatient with his _needs_. "What is it _now_?" she snapped.

"I…look, about what happened just now…over at my house…before you drove off…I—I didn't mean to kiss you. I mean, I did mean to kiss you, but I…I hope I didn't offend you in any way. I get that you want me to stop, and I—I'm really trying to but I can't and I get these urges…I mean you're Sharpay Evans! You're _gorgeous_ and _kissable_ and—"

'**Cos boy I'm left wide open **

**Hoping you wont leave me broken**

_Stop it, Troy._

"Good night, Bolton."

"Wait, wait…no, no…I just—I just want you to know that I can't promise you anything, Shar. I can't promise you that I'd stop kissing you."

There was a momentary pause so silent that she didn't even hear herself breathe.

"Go to sleep, Troy. I'll see you in school."

* * *

_I look like a train wreck_, Sharpay thought to herself as she furiously yet skillfully tried to conceal the hideous bags under her eyes.

She stole a quick glimpse at the clock on the wall and cursed out loud. If she didn't get her pretty little ass out of the house in five minutes, all hell would break loose in school. She'd get detention for being late, and one particular shaggy-haired jock was going to receive the end of her very painful torment.

_Fuck it!_ She growled, giving up on trying to mask her imperfection. Scowling at her reflection, she thought about how she'd have to fix it in school. Looking up at the clock once again, she allowed another rich profanity to slip out of her lips before dashing out of her bedroom and down the stairs—stopping for a split second to grab her bag and a bottle of water on the kitchen counter—and flying out the door. With a swift leap she got into her black convertible and tossed her stuff in the passenger seat. Turning the key in the ignition, she revved up the engine and gunned the accelerator. Sharpay sped down the streets, trying to calm her breathing as much as possible—well, as much as she could, considering the speed at which she was driving her car.

It was good, though. She needed the adrenaline to stay awake. Working on the proposal last night had allowed her two hours of sleep. At most. Sharpay didn't know exactly when she actually _did_ fall asleep. She must've had rolled around on her bed for at least half an hour, trying to get comfortable, adjusting the air conditioning every few minutes and getting up to drink a glass of warm milk. It could have been the coffee that was keeping her awake, but it didn't explain the heavy load she felt on her chest the whole time she lay down. It was as if a ton of bricks were piled up on top of her.

**You think**

**By now I've seen it all**

**That my heart**

**Should be indestructible**

**But your touch**

**Made it impossible**

'**Cos underneath it all**

**I'm vulnerable**

Sharpay hadn't known what to do, and it scared her. It didn't help that Ryan hadn't been home at all after that argument they had, and she was still very much pissed at him for what he had done. She'd heard him leave and seen his car drive away. She figured he'd gone over to Kelsi's place since they're all buddy-buddy-and-more at the moment, and Kelsi's the kind of person who's just too nice to kick his sorry butt out of her house.

_Well, trust him to man up to the situation_, she thought.

She arrived to school a little sooner than she would have liked. Students were already loitering around the compound, making their way into the building, bright smiles and laughter, and not a care in the world. Sharpay rolled her eyes just as the school bell rang.

_Shit!_

Her mind flew to the still-flawed crescents under her eyes, and then reached over to the glove compartment to retrieve a pair of sunglasses. It'll have to do for now. She did some quick adjustments to her blonde curls, flaunted a perfected pout and sauntered into the building the way she always did—with outmost confidence and an intimidating stance—and basked in the satisfaction as people parted the way for her. The corner of her lips turned up into a smirk.

And then she saw him.

Leaning against the wall right outside the classroom.

Reading a piece of paper in his hand.

_I can't promise you that I'd stop kissing you._

**Thought that I was a fighter**

**One of love's soul survivors**

**Strong enough to keep my love from breaking me again**

**But you got my attention**

And it took everything she had to ignore the fact that he had looked up and was smiling at her in that incredibly boyish way of his. Sharpay cocked an eyebrow. Just because they had some decent conversations didn't mean he had the privilege to openly grin at her in school. Especially since everyone was now blatantly staring, seemingly anticipating some kind of cinematic moment. It made her wonder what crazy rumours had been going round after what had happened the day before.

_Well, if they're all expecting a scene, they ain't gonna get any._

Sharpay stopped directly in front of him.

"Hi, Shar—"

"What, Bolton?" she demanded.

That did the trick, and instantly she could see the nervousness in his cerulean blue eyes. He reached a hand up to ruffle the hair at the back of his head and cleared his throat. "I, erm…listen, I—"

She knew he was trying to ask her to sit with him during lunch, and she was tickled at his sad but adorable attempt but it wasn't going to work like that.

**You think**

**By now I've seen it all**

**That my heart**

**Should be indestructible**

**But your touch**

**Made it impossible**

'**Cos underneath it all**

**I'm vulnerable**

"Not gonna happen."

* * *

"Yo, Troy!"

He spun around at the mention of his name in time to see Chad jogging up to him, his springy bob bouncing like a basketball with each step he took. Troy sighed inwardly, dreading what was coming next. It had been days since the two friends had any form of decent conversation. Sure, they had exchanged a few words the previous day in class but it seemed too formal—a repercussion of an ugly argument that had happened before. Troy knew that Chad was still holding on to some sort of grudge, and he really didn't want to hear about it again.

All around him people were making their way to the cafeteria for lunch, so the crowd in the hallway was thinning down. At least he could have this impending conversation without an audience. It was embarrassing enough being rejected by Sharpay Evans in front of the entire fuckin' school.

"What's up, Chad?" he asked as the two boys hesitantly bumped knuckles.

"I haven't seen you around much, dude. Where've you been?"

Troy hoisted his backpack higher up his shoulder, all the while trying to read Chad's expression for any semblance of negativity. "What do you mean? I've always been around. We even have class together yesterday. _You're_ the one who's hardly ever here, running off with Taylor after school and—"

Chad held up his hands in protest. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I've been playing basketball with the others everyday after school. Taylor's been busy tutoring some middle school kids, but that's not even the point here. What is it that you've been too busy with to even hang out with us anymore?"

"Chad, it's just—"

"Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you the other day, alright? I mean, what were you expecting from me? You're getting involved with the Ice Queen out of nowhere," Chad told him, making weird hand gestures as he spoke. "And then you told me she helps out at an _orphanage_? It's all just a little too much to handle."

"I've already told you, Chad," Troy cut in. "Sharpay isn't who you think she is."

"How do you know that, Troy? What _really_ happened between you two?"

Troy took one look at Chad, saw the concern in his eyes and sighed, considering if he should tell his best friend everything that had been going on for the past few days. It seemed like such a short span of time, but he was surprised by how much had happened. He didn't even know where to begin.

Swiping a hand over his face, Troy said, "I don't know, Chad. I really don't."

"Zeke told me Sharpay passed out in class yesterday and you brought—no, carried—her to the nurse's office. And then I heard from Taylor that you had a row with Ryan. Is that true?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah."

"Wow, Troy, two Evans in one day?"

"Shut up, Danforth."

He did, but took the opportunity to study the basketball captain instead. It was starting to bother Troy, how creepy it felt to be scrutinized all of a sudden. "What?" he asked exasperatedly.

"What's _really_ going on with you and Sharpay?"

Troy shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know."

"Do you _like_ her or something?" he wanted to know, but coating every word with vermin.

"Chad, I don't—"

"Dude!" the afro-haired boy exclaimed, his eyes widening into perfect circles. "That's seriously messed up, you know. She's the Ice Queen!"

Troy glared pointedly at his best friend and jabbed a finger to his chest. "And you know _nothing_ about her, alright? So back off!"

"What's got into you, Troy?"

"You don't know anything about Sharpay Evans, okay, so you have absolutely _no_ right to judge her by what you hear from other people," Troy said heatedly, clearly offended.

"Son of a bitch! You _do_ like her!" Chad accused, and Troy watched as realization dawned on his face. "Damnit, Troy! Are you kidding me?"

"I don't like her, Chad."

"Really?"

"_I love her_."

Silence.

A thousand thoughts were running through Troy's mind. He couldn't believe that he'd just admitted his feelings out loud. Had he really just did that? For a split second he didn't think it had happened. However, one look at Chad's stunned expression and he knew that it had. On one hand, it felt great to let someone know that he truly cared for Sharpay, but on the other, he wished he could take it all back. Somehow whatever twisted relationship he was having with the blonde actress, it seemed too personal—too special—to share with anyone. Right not, he just wondered if his best friend was accepting it.

Ten seconds passed.

_That's a really long time to process_, he thought, tilting his head.

"Dude?" Troy spoke after a while longer. When Chad still didn't budge, he waved a hand in front of the other boy's face. "Dude."

"Shar—what—when—how—why—"

"She isn't who everybody thinks she is, you know," Troy told him, folding his arms and leaning against a random locker. A small smile played on his lips as he remembered how sweet she was at the orphanage as she played with the children, and how adorable she'd been with Lucy. He pictured her on the stage in the auditorium as her delicate fingers danced through the keys on the piano, her angelic voice drawing him in time after time with each note she sang.

Chad arched an eyebrow in an almost-accurate imitation of Sharpay. "Huh."

Troy rolled his ocean-blue eyes. "What you see everyday—that bitch attitude—that's not who she really is. It's just who she wants everybody to think, a façade if you will. She's had a hard time growing up—"

"Oh, please," Chad scoffed, clearly not buying any of it. "She drives a convertible. How difficult can her life be?" His voice went up two octaves as he mockingly went on, "oh, I'm Sharpay Evans and I live in a freakin' mansion but I think my sleek black car doesn't match my purse today. How tragic—"

"She was adopted. Her mum—her biological mum—left her and Ryan in a dump when they were just three weeks old."

Chad scrunched his face in disbelief. "Where'd you hear that from?"

"She told me."

"Who?"

"Sharpay!"

Chad snickered. "And you believed her? For all you know she could just be spinning up some sob story so that you'd take pity on her, and then manipulate you for her own good. God, she's an actress, Troy, and that's what actresses do. They make you believe them."

"She did a really good job at it, then."

"You can't honestly tell me you believe that bull-shit, right?"

Troy didn't reply.

"What else did that girl tell you?" Chad asked, amused. "Was she raised by a pack of wolves?"

_The bastard thinks it's all a joke!_

"_Fuck you_, Chad, I have no time for this," he snapped. "You don't have to believe me if you don't want to, okay, but at least she doesn't waste her time playing basketball after school everyday."

"Jesus, Troy, are you forgetting who's the _captain_ of the basketball team?"

Troy ran his hand over his face as he grew impatient. "Forget about me for a second, will you? All I'm saying is that her life isn't filled with insignificant matters such as shoe-shopping."

"Oh yeah? Then what _does_ she do?"

"Sharpay helps out at the orphanage down at Threshold Park."

"_What?"_

Troy whipped his head around and came face-to-face with a skeptical-looking Taylor McKessie.

_Shit.

* * *

_

Sharpay blindly rounded the corner, cradling a stack of papers in one arm while her preoccupied hazel eyes skimmed through the updated script in her other hand. She'd spent fifteen minutes during lunch with Kelsi running through the final song for the play, getting all the loose notes right and fixing up on the minor things.

It had been awkward, especially with the tentative looks the pianist kept giving her every few seconds or so. She knew that Kelsi had wanted to talk to her or ask something, but she didn't need the pitiful treatment from anybody. Sharpay had been ignoring it at first, but then the staring got on her nerves, and she had snapped. In her entire life, she'd never seen someone who looked as though an asteroid hitting earth would be a dream come true.

"Sharpay!"

She froze in mid-step and glanced up.

**I've been trying to play it cool**

**But I've fallen**

**And I'm all in**

**Now I've got to confide**

**And tell the truth**

'**Cos your arms are my protection now**

**Please take care of what you've found**

The sight of Troy Bolton running up to her, looking flushed, blanked her thoughts immediately. Before she had time to react though, he was tugging on her wrist, practically dragging her down the hallway. It was then that she saw Chad Danforth and his genius of a girlfriend, Taylor a few feet away, and realization hit her.

"What the _fuck_, Troy," she hissed in warning.

"Just trust me on this," was all he said, a hint of exasperation and exhaustion in his voice, and a second later she was shoved directly in front of the couple.

Sharpay frowned, not liking the way Troy was manhandling her like a caveman. "What's going on?" she demanded, snatching her arm back.

"Tell them," he ordered, nodding towards the couple.

The blonde actress narrowed her eyes. "Tell them _what_?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"The truth."

For a moment, Sharpay was utterly confused. She had absolutely no idea what Troy was going on about. She turned her head to look at her two audiences, both in semi-bored anticipation. Then she returned her attention to Troy. His facial expression held no emotion and his lips were set in a thin line, but it was his hypnotic ocean blue eyes that gave him away—what this was all about. Suddenly it all clicked.

_Fucking bastard!_

She was trapped.

It seemed like everything came crashing down before her. The wall in which she had laboriously constructed around her heart—the persona she had painstakingly perfected—they crumbled down like dust in the wind. The trust in which she deeply treasured—once only belonged to her twin brother—and surrendered to Troy Bolton returned to the darkest depths of her soul. Everything she had every felt for the boy evaporated with a single breath. Like clockwork, she felt her old self taking over, and instinctively she activated her defence mechanism. With just a bat of an eyelash, her trademark scowl appeared on her flawless feature, her poisonous glare going for the kill.

"You son of a bitch," she hissed venomously.

"I had to tell them the truth, Shar."

"Yeah, Sharpay, the _truth_," Taylor added in cockily, crossing her arms over her chest. "Tell us."

With her gaze never leaving Troy, she sneered. "What truth?"

"All of it."

"Why should I?" she challenged.

"They ought to know," he murmured.

"They don't _deserve_ to know anything in my life, Troy," she spat out. "If they're not going to believe you, what makes you think they're going to believe me, huh?"

Troy fell silent.

"That's what I thought," Sharpay said, taking a few steps forward so that their noses were inches apart. Her molten brown eyes bore into his blue ones, and although she could see the guilt and regret swimming in those sapphire orbs, she knew that this was one mistake she could never forgive. Her fury only turned to disgust. "I trusted you, Bolton, but from this moment on, you don't deserve to know anything either."

The hurt was evident on his face.

"I want you to get the fuck out of my life."

**You think**

**By now I've seen it all**

**That my heart**

**Should be indestructible**

**But your touch**

**Made it impossible**

'**Cos underneath it all**

**I'm vulnerable**

And with one last piercing look, Sharpay swiveled around and left.

* * *

_Fuck._

"Sharpay!" Troy called out after her, only to be held back by his teammate. Annoyed, he glanced over his shoulder and shoved the hand away. "Let me go, Chad."

"Dude, forget about Sharpay, alright?" the other basketball player told him indignantly. "It's so obvious that she had been lying to you."

"Yeah," Taylor chirped in, arching an eyebrow in that brash way of hers. "Why wouldn't she admit it if it isn't the truth right?"

"Because she knew you wouldn't believe her," Troy retorted.

"For your information, Troy, in case you haven't already known, Sharpay Evans is the Queen Bitch in this school. She hasn't exactly been the nicest person around," Taylor pointed out. "It's just logical not to consider the possibility that she had somehow miraculously grown a saintly bone over night."

"You'll be surprised just how you much you don't know," Troy told them before whirling around and running in the direction Sharpay had went.

* * *

**A/N:** I know there aren't any steamy Troypay interactions in this chapter, but I think it's important. This chapter sort of tests how much Sharpay actually trusts Troy. So, what happens next? Wait and see!

**GimmeABeat:** Thank you for reading the story! I'm glad you liked the Sharpay/Ryan interaction in the previous chapter :D If you're still around for this chapter, I hope you'll like it too!

**Stessa:** Hi there! It's been so long since I last got to reply your review! You've been such a loyal reader, and I'm so sorry to keep you waiting for so long…I'd totally understand if you don't forgive me for it…but I hope you will :) I'm glad you liked the Troypay kiss in the previous chapter! Ryan's an irritating character, I know. He bugs me to, but I guess he's there for a reason.

**LoveIsLost29:** Yup, yup! Ryan is definitely overprotective of his sister but I suppose his intentions are good, right? I'm glad that you found the Troypay kiss adorable! I couldn't resist putting that in…hehe! Hope you like this chapter!

**xLovexPeacex:** Well, what Troy did was lie to Sharpay that they slept together (but was it really a lie? Hmmm…) Hope you enjoyed this update!

**Clotisy:** Firstly, I just LOVE reading your reviews. They totally light up my day! And I really want to apologise to you so much for putting this story on hiatus without so much as an author's note. I hope you can forgive me for that! Hopefully you'll still be reading this update, though…anyway, to reply to your wonderful review! Have you gotten your eyes checked yet? I hope so. And yes, you weren't crazy. Sharpay did in fact allow Troy to drive her precious car (must not be as precious as we thought then, huh?). I think she's totally annoyed that he's talking too much so to shut him up she asked him to drive her car instead. I totally love Troypay hang out time when nobody's around and they wouldn't have to be cautious of everything and just be themselves. Don't worry, more to come (especially in the next chapter *hint hint*)! And the fact that she didn't slap him makes a very big difference and and even bigger revelation, don't you think? We're taking a break from Ryan in this chapter and locking him up in a closet :P Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Virmett:** Hi! Okay, I know you reviewed twice, and I'd like to thank you so much for coming back and continuing to check up on me and reviewing. I really appreciate it, and I feel blessed to have such dedicated readers like you! Therefore, I'd like to apologise for taking forever to update this story! I'm glad you liked the kiss between Troy and Sharpay in the previous chapter. It's such a short scene, but it holds such significance to their friendship/relationship thing. My next chapter isn't going to take long, I've already started on it, don't worry! In the meantime, I hop you like this update!

**62toasters62:** Hello there! I hope I haven't disappointed you with such an extended period of waiting. I really had meant to work on this story more often but I just couldn't find the time. I am honoured that out of other possible more wonderful fanfics you have picked mine to read first. Thank you so much! I'm glad that you've enjoyed the previous chapter with the Troy and Sharpay interactions. She brings out the best in him, and vice versa, and I just like portraying such emotional intimacy between them. Ryan will always be an asshole, but I'm just happy we won't have to deal with him in this chapter…hehe! I hope you like this chapter too! Tell me what you think, yeah?

**xSuchAHotMess:** Thank you! Hope you enjoyed this update!

**Ellen:** Hi! Thank you so much for reading my story, and I'm glad that you've liked it so far! –blush- awwww, you're so sweet! Hope you like this chapter! Review and tell me what you think of it, alright?

**Sarah Zitter:** Hello! Firstly, sweetie, you're totally cute! Your review made me smile from start to end! I'm really glad that you like my story! Thank you so much for reading it! I like the fact that you're so positive about the characters and that everyone would get along. I would really like that too! Hopefully everything will work out just fine for the characters, yeah? If you want you can leave me a direct message with your email address and I can send you an email the next time I update my story. Hope you like this chapter!

**Enchanted-Princess:** I really hope you haven't given up waiting for me to update my story, but I'm sorry for taking so long with it! Hope you've enjoyed this update!

**Nikita:** First of all, I really owe you an apology. I really didn't mean to upset you by not updating my story. In fact, the last thing I want to do is upset any of my readers, but yes, I know I should've at least added in an author's note, and for that I'm really sorry. I hope you haven't gotten bored of waiting (or even if you have I'm not blaming you). If there's any way I can make it up to you, just review back to me and I'll do my absolute best to do it. I'd also like to thank you so much for reading my story to begin with, and I'm so glad that you actually like it! I am really flattered with your wonderful comment, thank you once again! I really like your suggestion for a scene, and I think it'll make an interesting plot in the story! I'll be sure to take the idea up :D I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, though. Tell me what you think of it, okay?

**Nocturnal Rose:** Thank you! Hope you like this update!

**Xcreamchip:** Hi! I've updated! :D Glad you're liking the story so far! Thank you so much for your review!

Song used — "Vulnerable" by The Saturdays


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: **Yay! Another chapter done! Well, I can safely say that I'm proud of this update because it's really long (18 pages on !)! Also, I am glad that I still have people reading my fanfic although it has been so long! On a side note, I'm excited to write this again because Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure will be out soon! I'll definitely go watch it! So anyway, hope everyone enjoys this chapter! Please leave a review or a comment :D It'll be greatly appreciated!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 22**

He charged down the corridor and flung the door wide open. Instantly the scorching midday sun blinded him. "Ow," he winced, using a hand to shield his baby blue eyes as he tried to blink the white spots away. "Come on, come on," he murmured impatiently under his breath. When his vision finally returned to focus, he anxiously scanned the parking lot for any signs for a certain blonde-headed teenager.

He swore he'd heard her hurried footsteps head this way a few seconds ago. She couldn't have possibly disappeared into thin air.

**There's a whole lotta things that I will forgive  
****But I just can't take a liar  
****I was by your side till the very end  
****Till you pushed me in the fire**

"Damnit!" he cursed, raking all ten fingers through his shaggy mahogany hair. Frustrated, he gave the wall beside him a hard kick. Pain jolted through his limb and he lashed out another profanity.

Just then he heard a distant rumbling, a kind of familiar sound coming from the corner of the compound. Without even thinking, he tore across the parking lot and threw himself in front of her black convertible just as it pulled out of the lot. Troy braced for impact when he heard her let out a startled shriek. Seconds passed and he seemed to be intact. She must've hit the breaks in time.

Troy swallowed gulps of air and gazed through the windshield at the driver. Her eyes were fused shut, her flawless features contorted in panic and she was gripping her steering wheel so tightly he thought she could've left dent marks.

"Sharpay?" he whispered hoarsely. When she didn't appear to hear him, he cleared his throat and repeated her name a little louder. "Sharpay?"

Slowly, she pried her hazel eyes open, and when she saw that he was unharmed, she let out a huge sigh of relief and began fanning herself with a hand. "Shit, shit, shit," she muttered in between gasps.

Troy's legs felt wobbly as he placed his hand on the hood of the car and hauled himself to his feet. He was about to ask her if she was fine when he heard her strangled coughs. "Sharpay? Are you alright?" he asked, his eyebrows knitting in concern. She neither answered him nor did her coughing subside, so he opened her side of the door and knelt down to her level.

"Shar? Sharpay, look at me," he said, pushing strands of blonde locks aside to cup her cheeks. "Shar, look at me, please. Breathe…breathe. Take deep breaths, okay?"

Her coughs turned to agonized wheezing, and Troy could feel the perspiration from her skin against his palms. Just then he spotted a bottle of water in the back seat. He figured it ought to help and reached out to grab it. Twisting the cap open, he handed the bottle to her.

"Here, drink some water," he told her.

With trembling hands, she took the plastic container and downed the liquid inside. Troy watched her empty the bottle, which she then violently shoved into his chest. He didn't even bother to discard it properly, but instead mindlessly tossed it aside. "How are you feeling, Shar?"

**I tried to believe you but something is wrong  
****You won't look in my eyes tell me what's going on**

"What the hell were you thinking?" she snapped. "I could've killed your sorry ass!"

_Well, that definitely did help._

"But you didn't," he pointed out, spreading his hands out to let her inspect his unscathed being.

"Maybe I should have," she shot back, obviously in no mood for his so-called comedy, as she nudged him aside so that she could get out of the car. "You fucking deserve to die right now, you know that?"

"Look, Sharpay, I had to tell them," he began. "Chad was asking me all these things, like why I hadn't been at basketball sessions like I used to, and—"

"You couldn't have lied about it?" Sharpay narrowed her eyes and took an intimidating step towards him. "I can come up with a millions things right now that I could've said to Chad Freaking Danforth without telling him the truth. Tell him you smuggle weed after school or something, I don't care, but you have no right to go round telling people about my business. I let you in, Troy, I trusted you with my secrets, and I believed you wouldn't betray me like that. Do you have any idea, any idea, how I feel right now?"

"I know you're mad at me—"

"Mad? I'm beyond mad, Bolton. I'm fucking disgusted."

Troy felt the dagger pierce right through his back, the harshness of her words reverberating in his head. He really hadn't meant to offend her in any way. In fact, he'd defended her every single time Chad or Taylor had supplied any unfairly judgmental insult.

"All I wanted was for them to realize you're not some cold-hearted bitch who constantly torments people without any apparent rhyme or reason," Troy explained. "I was doing you a favour, Sharpay."

**It's you and me against the world  
****That's what you said, that's what you said  
****If you can't be honest with me  
****Then I'm afraid this is the end**

"I don't need your pitiful favours, alright? What you did is only going to make people think I'm more hypocritical than I already am," she retorted. "Did they believe you, Troy? Did your friends even stop to consider the possibilities?"

"They would have if you had just told them the truth."

"That's bullshit, Troy, and you know it," she went on defiantly. "They wouldn't have believed me even if I'd pointed a gun to their heads."

"If you'd just start trusting people—"

"Like how I'd trusted you?"

"I didn't betray your trust, Shar—"

"Then what do you call revealing my secret to people when I had specifically told you not to?" she argued, then sarcastically added in, "Roses and sweet dreams?"

**Hurry up, hurry up  
****If you ever really cared about me  
****Tell the truth, give it up  
****You're still guilty cuz you're stuttering**

This time it was Troy who narrowed the distance between them—his blue eyes never leaving her brown ones—so close to the point that he could smell her sweet perfume. Sharpay made no attempts at moving away, the intensity of her fury burning holes in the pits of his stomach. He couldn't back down now. He had to get his point across to her somehow. He desperately needed her to understand. The last thing he wanted was for her to push him away and leave him in the dark again.

"I call it caring so much about someone that I want to share her kindness and compassion with the world," he whispered, suddenly overwhelmed by the emotional intimacy, and took that opportunity to thread his rough fingers through her delicate ones.

The skin-on-skin contact jolted Sharpay out of her reverie. Confusion flashed across her face and she tugged her hand away only to have Troy pull her closer. There was a nanosecond of anxiety when she realized he wasn't going to let go.

"Troy—" she whimpered.

Unable to resist, he leaned his forehead against hers. She let out a shaky breath, and as he trailed a hand up the length of her arm, told her, "You are an amazing person, Sharpay Evans, and all I want is for the whole world to see it."

Troy could feel the struggle in power as she reluctantly detached herself from his grasp. "It doesn't matter what the world thinks of me, okay?" she said, sounding like she was trying to convince herself more than anything. "Everyone has already made up their minds anyway."

"You don't trust me?"

She didn't answer him straight away, taking her time to contemplate, and he waited patiently. Heck, he could wait a hundred years if it meant he'd get her honesty. He watched the shades of conflicting emotions dance through her body, each meaning and reasoning carefully being weighed. It was killing him how he was unable to read her mind—to decipher her thoughts—and help her untangle the situation that he'd put her in.

Against his better judgment, Troy reached out to tuck a strand of stray lock behind her ear. "I just want what's best for you, Shar."

She swatted his hand away, her dark chocolate eyes blazing at the statement. "You don't decide what's best for me," she flared up, her scathing look becoming murderous.

Troy drew back, stung.

He really couldn't figure out what was wrong, why she was so offended with everything he did, or how he could amend their current predicament. It was driving him insane. He was fast running out of ideas, but he couldn't afford to lose her now. The ringing of the school bell, signaling the end of lunch period, shattered the silence between the two teenagers.

_Shit_, he thought.

"Get in."

Sharpay raised an eyebrow incredulously, her anger forgotten. "What?"

"Get in," he repeated, sliding into the driver's seat.

The blonde actress planted her right fist on her hip. "Just because I'd let you drive my car once doesn't mean you can hijack it anytime you wish, Bolton."

His lips curled up in a smirk. "Trust me."

"We can't just skip the rest of school."

"What's the matter? You were planning to, weren't you?"

Sharpay huffed in irritation. "Not with you."

"What difference does it make?"

The second lunch bell went off. Troy glanced down at his wristwatch, calculating the time. They had less than five minutes before classes resumed. If they leave immediately, there was a chance they'd be able to make a clean getaway without getting caught. The previous detention had gotten him into some really deep shit with his dad. It wasn't that his coach for a father was treating him like a twelve-year-old—even he knew that being grounded at such an adolescent age was humiliating—apparently earning a scholarship to a prestigious college doesn't just involve good basketball skills and average grades. Unfortunately, he needed a clean behavioral record as well. Inwardly, Troy rolled his eyes at such absurdity.

"Sharpay," he called out quietly, catching her attention. "Get in."

She paused, then wordlessly rounded the car and slipped into the passenger's seat. All the while Troy was watching her every movement, unable to believe that she was in fact actually listening to him for a change—without a single protest—and he couldn't help feeling a surge a warmth spread through his person. If she was willingly following him, it had to mean that she had forgiven him enough to give him some credit where it was due. He knew trust didn't come easy with Sharpay, and so she must have figured he'd gone through enough shit to get to where he was and cut him some slack. Well, it had to be the only reason she wasn't pummeling him to pulp and committing murder.

As though sensing his insistent stare, she flicked her titian eyes up to meet his turquoise ones.

"What is it?"

Troy cleared his throat and quickly averted his gaze. "Nothing. No—never mind," he stuttered, then put the car into gear and drove out of the parking lot.

Sharpay fished out a pair of overpriced sunglasses from the glove compartment. "Do you even know where you're going?" she questioned, sliding the shades on.

Shrugging his shoulders, he took a left turn after exiting the main gate. "Guess so."

She didn't say anything else, and they sat in silence as he drove on. The wind was warm against Troy's cheek as it blew his copper hair in disarray, but he had to admit that it was rather refreshing, albeit the fact that they had just severely broken a school rule, and probably a few others along the way as well. For the first time in his entire life, he found himself unable to care. He relished in the sweet escape—the incredible sense of freedom he felt—in doing what he never in a million years thought he'd be able to do. The insanity of it tickled him, more so because he was doing this with Sharpay Evans.

**Now the seconds turn into minutes now  
****But you won't give me an answer**

Deciding to risk a glimpse, he noticed she was staring out of the car, one arm resting on the door.

"Are you okay?"

Without turning to face him, she countered, "define 'okay'."

"Look, Shar, I—"

**You can tell me this, you can tell me that  
****But don't say you don't remember**

"Just drive, Troy. I don't want to discuss this right now."

Her tone made it crystal clear that the conversation was over, so he gave a curt nod in acknowledgement. "Alright."

**Cuz I know you better than you know yourself  
****So don't say I'm crazy, I know very well**

Sharpay reached forward to turn on the radio. An upbeat song began playing and some guy Troy didn't recognize was rapping about smacking perky asses. He snickered upon hearing the provocative lyrics. She wasn't amused, and automatically changed the station.

"What's wrong with that?" he asked as innocently as he could while simultaneously trying to keep a straight face.

"It's a fuck load of crap."

"I actually find it stimulating."

"That's disgusting."

"I'm surprised you've managed to say that without actually puking."

"Keep talking and I might."

Troy chuckled good-naturedly. At least she was speaking to him. "What's so bad about a little hip hop?"

"Firstly, women aren't _sex objects_ used to satisfy some male kinky carnal desires. They shouldn't be the topic of ridicule in a song," she said, still not looking at him. "Secondly, I'm sure this _hip hop_ that you're referring to doesn't exactly _fit_ into the five elements of what hip hop really is."

"The five elements of hip hop?"

"Number one is B-boying, or what some people call 'breakdancing'," she calmly explained. Number two is Emcee, or MC-ing. Number three is DJ-ing. Number four is Graffiti, also known as 'tagging'. Finally, number five is knowledge."

"Knowledge?"

"The Zulu Nation spreads the word of peace, love and unity using knowledge, culture and understanding. Hip hop was never about getting busy in the club or shooting at random strangers."

Troy grinned lopsidedly at the adorably animated way in which she was trying to define something that he didn't think she knew, but yet seem so passionate about. She truly didn't cease to amaze him. Her voice was incredibly captivating; it was like listening to her read to the children in the orphanage.

"That trash is an embarrassment to funk style break beats that truly encompasses what hip hop is all about," she finished.

"So you're saying all that bass-thumping isn't exactly hip hop?"

"Which part of my detailed explanation don't you grasp?"

_Ouch,_ he thought, figuring that she probably was still upset, given the straight-up insult he'd just received.

"What _is_ this music, anyway?" he wanted to know.

"Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture."

This time, he couldn't help it. He had to laugh. "You've _got_ to be kidding me. There's absolutely _no way_ you'd know that," he snickered, just when the deejay announced the title of the music piece. Troy instantly frowned.

"Told you so."

**It's you and me against the world  
****That's what you said, that's what you said  
****If you can't be honest with me  
****Then I'm afraid this is the end**

"How'd you know that?"

"My dad loves Tchaikovsky."

"My mum loves Beethoven but I'm clueless."

"I'm not surprised," she muttered under her breath. "Fur Elise is playing. You ought to know this one, right?"

Troy tilted his head quizzically. "Why?"

**Hurry up, hurry up  
****If you ever really cared about me  
****Tell the truth, give it up  
****You're still guilty cuz you're stuttering**

**

* * *

**

"Pullover."

He gave her a dubious front. "Here?"

"Yes, here."

"But the—"

"I said, pullover," she snapped, throwing him a vexed scowl.

_What Sharpay wants, Sharpay gets_, he thought to himself as he complied with her request. _It's her car anyway_.

Troy parked the convertible in an empty slot at the edge of the road and killed the engine. Beyond the metal barriers in front of him, the clear ocean stretched out into the horizon, a line separating the cloudless sky overhead. Pure Shores wasn't for another mile or so, and although he could hear the sound of waves crashing, he couldn't see any sand dunes. He was about to ask her where they were but she had already gotten out of the car, so he extracted the key from the ignition and promptly followed suit. Sharpay didn't even look back once to see if he was behind her. She walked down the stretch of shoulder until she found a small opening in between the railings, and Troy was amazed to see a small dirt trail winding down towards the sea. It was uncertain where it led to and it made him nervous.

"Wait, Shar, where exactly are we going?" he couldn't hold back asking.

She glanced at him over her shoulder. "You'll see."

Then she continued with her descent without another word. Her vague answer only heightened his discomfort. The pathway—or lack thereof—was steep and unpaved. Troy stared at it precariously for a few seconds before cautiously inching his way down after Sharpay, wondering how on earth that girl wasn't struggling at all.

_Where the heck is she bringing me?_

The beaten track didn't seem like a route towards the water, for what came up ahead were huge boulders that looked like spikes sticking out of the ground, and Troy immediately remembered a scene from a horror movie he'd recently just watched about witchcraft and exorcism.

_Is she involved in some kind of cult?_

"Cult? In broad daylight?"

Troy's face flushed crimson in embarrassment when he realized he'd revealed his thoughts out loud. The blonde actress arched an eyebrow at the stupidity of his deduction and he sheepishly rubbed the nape of his neck.

"Um—uh—I—" he tried to explain but she had resumed walking. Troy clicked his tongue in frustration at his own idiosyncrasy.

_Oh well, she probably already thinks I'm some moron._

Just then Sharpay sped up her pace, and Troy—in an attempt at catching up to her—slipped on some loose gravel and lost his footing, skidding and arms flailing to regain his balance.

"Whoa!"

"Are you okay?"

Troy glanced up at her, slightly panting. His heart was beating rapidly in his ribcage while his mind tried to recover from the shock. He nodded, swallowing hard. "Yeah, I'm fine," he told her, his voice wavering.

_Apart from almost falling to my death_, he added inwardly.

She tilted her head, unleashing that hypnotic, caring chocolate eyes on him. "You sure?"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about me," he assured her with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Alright, then. We're almost there. I can hear them."

It wasn't until she mentioned it that Troy noticed some faint noises in the distance. He strained his ears, but all he could make out were muffled voices and electric guitar riffs. Someone was probably blasting heavy metal. It was kind of familiar.

"Slinkback Hammer?"

He heard Sharpay snicker. "Look who finally came out of the cave."

"Ha, ha," he retorted dryly. "Chad listens to rock music a lot."

"I'll bet he does."

They reached the base of the slope where the sand was mildly damp and the sharp boulders towered over them like a daunting haunted castle. Sharpay maneuvered her way in between the rocks and as the music got louder, Troy began to ponder what other unexpected surprises about Sharpay Evans that he was going to see. A million and one possibilities raced through his head, knowing from past experiences to not filter anything that might seem out of the ordinary. Nothing about her life was normal.

"Trista!"

"Shar!"

Troy jolted out of his reverie and saw that they had reached a clearing. Instantly he felt out of place. There were about ten or more portable speakers placed strategically all around the encompassing rocks with music blasting so loud, he could feel the sand beneath him vibrate. It was like a mini Stonehenge concert of some sort—except that there were a couple of teenagers, not much older than him, bouncing on what appeared to be rubber-like tight ropes.

"Troy!"

He snapped his head around and saw Sharpay beckoning him over where she stood with an attractive-looking girl.

"Come here for a sec!"

Self-consciously, he went over.

"Troy, this is Trista. She's the girl I was telling you about, remember?" Sharpay introduced. "Trista, Troy. He's some guy I picked up on the street along the way."

Troy grinned lopsidedly and held his hand out for the girl to shake. She had straight shoulder-length jet-black hair, smoky ashen eyes bordered with thick black lashes and bright red lipstick-clad lips. There was a piercing on her right eyebrow and tattooed stars dotted the side of her left jaw line down to the front of her collarbone, where they ended in between the cleavage that her tank top had left exposed. A belly ring peeked out above her white and purple-striped bikini bottom. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," she said with a playful wink, her voice smooth and sultry, then turned to Sharpay. "Good pick. Not so flaky."

"Says she who's dated my sorry excuse for a brother," Sharpay shot back in amusement.

Troy's eyes grew wide with shock. "You went out with her twin brother?"

"For six months," Trista informed him.

"And here I thought Ryan was gay," Troy joked, earning himself a hard whack on his bicep from the other twin sibling. "Ow!"

Trista smirked. "Believe it or not, he's all man in bed."

"Oh, my God, stop," Sharpay cut in, cupping her hands over her ears. "I can't listen to this, Tris, stop putting images into my head."

"He fucked my ass off like a bull rider."

"Leaving!" Sharpay interrupted before the other girl could go any further. Troy felt her fingers close around his wrist as she tugged him away. "Talk to you again when you've activated your sexual filter," she yelled, dragging the basketball player over to a group of three guys by the tight rope thing, watching as another one did tricky stunts on it.

"Hey guys!"

"Sharpay!" they chorused.

A guy with sandy-blonde hair and low-riding baggy jeans ran up to Sharpay. He enveloped her in his arms, lifting her off her feet, and spun her around. She giggled good-naturedly as she clung on to the dude. He then set her down on her feet and gave her an affectionate peck on the cheek as Troy watched on with a twinge of jealousy bubbling in his core.

"How have you been, little doe? I've missed you," Mr. Blonde-Haired-Dude said with a charming million-dollar smile.

"I'm still existing," she replied with a slight shrug.

"You feeling better?"

That question caught Troy's attention.

"Oh, you know how it goes."

Troy's face fell in disappointment.

"Hey, kiddo, aren't you going to introduce us?" another guy—this one was tan, had spiky auburn hair with dark blue highlights and a lip ring—spoke up, striding over, his chiseled chest glistening in the sun like a runway model.

The third guy had on a pair of shades, a flat-billed cap worn backwards, a white sweat-drenched wife beater and denim Bermudas. The fourth guy was still hopping about on the tight rope.

"Sure," Sharpay said, slinging an arm around Guy Number One. "This is Troy Bolton. He's my crime buddy for today. Troy, this is Dan." She then gestured to Guy Number Two, "this is Sean, that's Keith, and that one over there's Cameron."

"Hey," they voiced out simultaneously.

"Hey."

"Dan taught me how to surf," Sharpay disclosed. "He's a _really_ good teacher."

"Well, I couldn't leave a beautiful girl to make a fool out of herself out in the waves now, could I?" he teased.

Sharpay rolled her eyes in return.

"You just wanted an excuse to get your hands on Sharpay's round ass and juicy breasts," Trista pointed out from where she sat reading a book, and from the corner of his eyes, Troy saw Dan blush a deep shade of red.

"Filter, Tris!" Sharpay hollered back, making her way towards Cameron.

"You skipped school again, Shar?" Keith piped up, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his pants.

_Again?_

Sharpay nodded happily. "Yup," she announced, popping the last syllable as she bent down to take off her wedge sandals.

"What do you mean 'skip school again'?" Troy queried, tilting his head to face the blonde actress, trying his best to ignore her perfectly tanned legs. "You've done this before?"

Sharpay straightened her body and presented him with a secretive grin, her hazel eyes glimmering with mischief, and Troy felt his breath hitch in his throat. Her golden tresses danced in the breeze, slight perspiration coating her skin with a layer of sheen, giving her a healthy glow. The scorching sun was beating down mercilessly, but the sexual tension that was radiating in that intense gaze burned like a million solar flares.

_God, she's so fucking gorgeous._

She was two sides of a coin and he was having trouble deciding which side he preferred more.

"Get off, Cam. Stop hogging the line."

Troy was intrigued. "What is this?"

Sharpay's lips twitched up as she explained. "It's called Slacklining. Well, technically it's called the Gibbon Slackline."

"You can call it an extreme sport if you want," Cameron added in. "This one's a Surfline. Good for tricks."

Troy bopped his head, pretending to understand, but his brain was focused on the blonde beauty in front of him as she effortlessly mounted the Slackline, and again for the umpteenth time that day he was blown away by her hidden abilities. He watched in awe while she bounced around with highly impressive balance and agility.

"You practiced your backflip yet, Cam?" she quipped.

"He's still reeling from yours," Keith snickered.

"I'll get it soon," Troy heard Cameron mumble.

"Show him how it's done, doe," Dan said to Sharpay, and without hesitating she launched herself up and executed a skillful flip before immaculately landing back on the line and hopping off.

"Wow."

"Stop drooling, Bolton," Sharpay smirked, sauntering past him to stand next to Keith. "Go ahead, give it a go."

"What?"

"Go on, man," Dan encouraged.

Troy glanced back and forth between the five people staring at him and the Slackline, pondering on the risks that he was undertaking if he gave in. Finally, his cerulean blue eyes settled on Sharpay's cinnamon ones. They were warm and assuring, telling him that he was in capable hands. There was no doubting her, and he knew that.

"Go on," she egged on.

"What if I fall?"

"Dude, we've all fallen at some point. That's the beauty of it. You fall, you get up and then conquer the line," Sean slurred with a hint of an Australian accent.

"You'll do fine," Keith convinced.

"Trust me."

Troy whipped around at the sound of her voice. More than anything else, his faith had always been with her. This was his test to prove to her that there wasn't a single bone of trepidation in his mind, and there was nothing that he wouldn't do for her. All she had to do was ask.

"Trust me," she repeated.

And just like that, he lifted one foot off the sand and took his first step onto the Slackline.

* * *

"Oh, fuck, Shar!" Trista suddenly exclaimed in a half-whisper, her dusky eyes magnifying into perfect circles. Her bony fingers gripped Sharpay's forearm in alarm.

"What?" the blonde hissed.

"Your nose is bleeding!"

Sharpay immediately reached up to touch her philtrum and to her horror felt a stream of thick red liquid trickling down. She gasped at the evidence and impulsively turned her body away from the other guys. "Shit, Tris, get me a towel or something, quick!" she ordered in a hushed tone, not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention to herself.

The last thing she needed was Troy Bolton freaking out again.

Trista pulled her over to a private shaded spot some distance away from the boys and grabbed the first random face towel she could find lying around. "Here," she said, handing it over to her friend before walking over to the cooler.

Sharpay hastily wiped the pool of blood that had gathered in her palm, then held the stained towel up to her nose with her head tilted skywards to try and stop the flow. The brunette returned with a bottle of chilled mineral water and placed is on Sharpay's forehead to cool her down.

"Damn, that feels good," she stated, her voice slightly muffled.

Trista presented her with a lopsided smile. "Your body's overheated, Shar," she informed, calm and collected. "And probably dehydrated as well." She took the bottle and twisted the cap, then thrust it into Sharpay's hand. "Drink," she commanded sternly.

Wordlessly, Sharpay removed the towel from her face and took three big gulps of water, all the while pinching the bridge of her nose with the other hand. "Thanks, Dr. Ray," she said graciously, releasing her fingers once she knew the bleeding had stopped.

Trista rolled her eyes. "Shar—"

"I know, I know. Parental issues."

"You better drink more water, Shar," Trista advised, mindlessly drawing slapdash patterns in the sand with a fallen branch. "It'll be good for you."

Sharpay just nodded in acknowledgment, trying not to think about the double meaning behind the other girl's words. As tough and wild as she could be, Trista was also incredibly smart. She had wanted to be a neurosurgeon and had attended one of the most prestigious medical schools in the country, but due to financial matters she wasn't able to complete it. There were too many complications, and she eventually had to let her dreams go.

"Do you still regret it?"

From the corner of her hazel eyes, Sharpay saw Trista shrug her petite shoulders. "Sometimes."

"God, if only there was a 'Do-Over' button in life."

"Amen to that, sister," Trista snickered.

Sharpay pulled out an elastic band from the pocket of her pants and gathered her golden tresses up in a messy ponytail, feeling the sea breeze brush across her bare neck. The pair sat in comfortable silence, both enjoying the cool shade as they watched the four guys take turns bouncing and hopping on the Slackline. It was nice that Troy was getting along fine with her friends and she was pleasantly surprised that he didn't mind or object to trying something dangerously new and extreme. She hadn't expected him to really get onto the Slackline, and it puzzled her how easy it had been to convince him. He really did trust her.

_Maybe a little too much_, she thought.

Really, she had wanted to trust him with every fiber of her being, but she knew she couldn't. There was just too much that she would be risking, and she didn't know if she was ready for all of it.

In addition, she was still terminally peeved about what had happened earlier on in school.

Troy had absolutely no right to go around telling people her secrets—especially to someone as obnoxious as Chad Danforth and Taylor McKessie—and that one on its own was a punishable offense. In any other instances, Sharpay would have already banished anybody for such a sordid move. Heck, she would have sent the person packing all the way to the seven gates of hell and exiled from the afterlife, but this was not any other instance.

This was Troy Bolton.

Her reverie was interrupted by a sharp nudge to her hip.

"What?"

Trista didn't answer her, and instead nodded her head at a direction. Sharpay followed her gaze and saw that Troy was mounting the Slackline—shirtless—and the blonde actress felt her heart jump up to her throat. The arduous workout left him perspiring in the heat of the sun, the rays glimmering off his skin like honey-glazed goodness. His abdominal muscles—caused by years of basketball training—flexed and tightened as he balanced himself on the 2-inched band, and Sharpay counted all eight packs, unable to stop her eyes from trailing south to where his low-slung jeans hung from his hips.

Forget Zeus. Troy looked as though he'd been born on Olympus.

"_Shit_," Sharpay murmured under her breath, suddenly aware of the hitch in temperature.

Or maybe it was just her.

"What's going on with you two?"

Sharpay blinked back to the present, glancing over at the girl sitting beside her with a curious regard in her silver eyes. "Me and Dan?" the blonde asked, playing the ignorance card.

Trista clearly didn't buy it. "You and _Troy_. What's going on?"

**Don't know much about your life  
****Don't know much about your world but  
****Don't wanna be alone tonight  
****On this planet they call Earth**

Sharpay contemplated for a moment before realizing she couldn't lie to her good friend. They knew practically everything about each other. After all, Trista _had_ dated Ryan for some time. Sighing in defeat, Sharpay said, "I don't know, Tris. It's complicated."

"Welcome to my world, Little Miss Hepburn. Come on, you can tell me."

There was no way out of this one. Sharpay knew Trista well enough to know that the brunette wouldn't judge her in any way. "We were at this party some time back, and I basically got drunk. Something happened between me and Troy but I couldn't remember anything at all," she explained. "The next day in school he came onto me, and just began telling me things and I didn't believe him. I mean, why should I, right? So then, he started following me around—"

"Wait," Trista cut in. "Followed you around?"

"Okay, so he stalked me like some perverted paparazzi," Sharpay admitted, feeling a blush creep into her cheeks. "He saw me at Zashley Orphanage and then just one fine afternoon decided to tell me we did the horizontal Lambada at the party."

"Damn, Shar—"

"After that he told me he'd lied about it."

Trista tilted her head, her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "Hang on, hang on. Back up for a minute, I think you'll need to tell me everything from the start."

* * *

"—And that's how we ended up here," Sharpay concluded, taking in a much needed breath of air and a deserving gulp of water.

Trista didn't respond right away, her expression somber and thoughtful as she squinted into the sunlight for whatever reasons it was. A minute or so passed and the brunette hadn't spoken a word. There were numerous facial expressions being offered her way, but none that Sharpay could actually decipher. Eventually, she got impatient.

"What?"

"Shar, you know very well that you can't—"

Sharpay ran her fingers through her hair. Yes, she knew. She had known from the start, from the very moment she felt that things were going to change.

"I know, Tris."

"So why are you—"

"I don't know," she replied, rolling the plastic bottle in between her palms. "It's just—the way that he looks at me, Tris, it's—it's different. Nobody's ever looked at me like that before."

"Like what?"

"I have no idea how to explain to you, but when I'm around him, I feel special—like I finally mean something to someone."

Trista's lips twitched in recognition. "Shar, he obviously loves you a lot."

"How can he _possibly_ love me?" Sharpay wondered out loud, throwing her hands up in the air. "He doesn't even _know_ me."

"He's seen more of you in a week than anybody else had in a lifetime. You've showed him everything you had, and I know I'm going to sound like a hopelessly nauseating romantic here, but it takes just one day—or just one second—to fall in love."

Sharpay gave her a strange look. "That's not possible."

**You don't know about my past and  
****I don't have a future figured out  
****And maybe this is goin' too fast  
****And maybe it's not meant to last**

"Look, I'm not going to start preaching to you about love—"

"Thank God," Sharpay quipped.

Trista delivered a playful slap on the blonde girl's leg, though her facial expression remained serious. "Shar, Troy loves you—and I'm sure the rest of the world agrees with me—and you're slowly falling in love with him as well, whether or not you'll admit it—be it to yourself or anyone for that matter—but you have to do something about it."

"I'm—I'm confused, Tris."

"You know how this is going to end, right?"

**But what do you say to takin' chances?  
****What do you say to jumpin' off the edge?**

Yes, she knew. She had known from the start, from the very moment she felt that things were going to change.

"We're not—"

"I didn't say that whatever this is," Trista interrupted, gesturing between the boy in topic and the blonde sitting next to her, "that's going on _is_ going to end. If anything, I'm praying as hard as you are for it not to, but you know it's going to be painful. All I'm saying is that it's better to hurt him now than hurt him in the end."

"He's not making this any easier for me."

"He loves you, Shar, and it'll only get harder from here," Trista told her. "Look, love is like quicksand. The further you sink in, the more difficult it is to get out."

"That's deep."

"Shut up."

Sharpay inhaled deeply. "I just don't—"

"No, look, tell me something, alright? And I want the truth. Do you love him?"

Sharpay bit her lip, finding herself once again swimming amongst the ocean of emotions—emotions that she couldn't be bothered to pick out anymore. They intertwined in a swirling vortex, each one luring her deeper and deeper into treacherous territory.

**Never knowin' if there's solid ground below  
****Or a hand to hold or hell to pay  
****What do you say? What do you say?**

"I don't know," she whispered in all honesty.

As much as she tried to deny, not in a million years would she wholeheartedly renounce that she hated Troy Bolton in her life. The proximity between them in the last few days had been comforting—the kisses they'd shared were mind-blowing, his touch had sent delicious shivers running down her body—but Sharpay wondered if there was anything else other than sexual tension that had been present. Had there been feelings?

"I don't think waiting around to figure it out is the best idea," Trista's steady tone brought Sharpay back to the conversation. "Tell him no, Shar. Spare him the pain that he'll have to go through in the future. Listen, if you _do_ love him you'll let him pursue his own happiness. He deserves as much."

"Hey, Shar!"

Both girls whipped their heads around to see Dan standing a few feet away. They had been so engrossed in their own discussion neither had noticed him approach. Sharpay and Trista exchanged a look, similarly wondering how long he'd been there and how much he'd heard them say, but Dan seemed oblivious. There was a lazy smile playing on his lips as though nothing was out of place.

"Hey, Dan," the duo chorused.

"Hi ladies," he said, dragging the last syllable.

"What do you want, dude?" Trista asked him with a cock of an eyebrow.

"Well, I haven't seen my little doe here in a while, and I was just wondering if we could do some catching up," he smoothly replied, not bothered by the brunette's subtle threat. He held his hand out to Sharpay and gave her an irresistible boyish charm with a trademark tilt of his head. "You don't mind do you, Tris?"

"No, go ahead. She's all yours."

"Shar?"

"Sure, why not?" the blonde consented and took his hand.

He flashed her another one of his bewitching grins before leading her down towards the shore, and Sharpay marveled at how mundane it felt to have his warm, slightly calloused palm cocooning her dainty one. Somehow, everything felt simple again. Time seemed to halt to a place where the only things that existed were the two childhood best friends. Bittersweet memories came flooding back to her; an overwhelming sense of abundance suddenly filled her hollow heart.

Being with Dan always did that to her.

As they walked on in peace—just two individuals against the world—for the first time in a long time, Sharpay Evans felt free. Beaming up at him, she gave his hand a light squeeze.

"How are you, Shar?"

"Right now, I've never been better," she said.

"He does love you, you know."

Sharpay tensed up for a second before letting out a nervous laughter. "Who are you talking about?"

"I believe the correctly grammatical word is 'whom'," he mocked good-naturedly.

She stuck her tongue at him. "Cute, Dan Patch."

"I was talking about Troy, by the way."

"Yeah?"

He nodded and attempted a half shrug. "I overheard."

"You were eavesdropping?"

"I _overheard_. It was an innocent breach."

Sharpay playfully narrowed her hazel eyes. "There's no such thing as an innocent breach. It's a violation of privacy, sweetie, and you've just earned yourself a strike."

"Alright, I'll accept the punishment."

"You know the drill, mister."

Dan gave her a puppy-dog pout, but complied with his forfeit. He lowered himself to her level and groaned exaggeratedly as she jumped on his back in a fit of giggles. She clung on to him, her arms wrapped securely around his neck while his hands supported her thighs.

"God, you weigh like a cow!" he commented as he continued walking.

Sharpay gasped and dug her heels into his side. "You take that back!"

"Ow!" he howled. "Alright, alright. You're so abusive."

"Apologise. Now."

"I'm sorry for calling you a cow, even though that statement is true."

That did it. Dan always enjoyed pushing her buttons, but she knew just how to fight fire with fire. Smirking, she leaned forward so that her face was right next to his and then gave his ear a slow, wet lick.

"Ew! Gross! Shar!" he exclaimed, horrified.

"You were asking for it," she pointed out.

"Do you apply this form of torture to Troy as well?"

Sharpay huffed. "Just you. Troy gets a kick to the groin."

Dan winced, although she knew he didn't believe her. "Did you drag him down here with you?"

"No, it was his idea to ditch."

"See, I'm pretty sure that's not it."

"Fine, I almost ran him over when he tried to stop me from leaving," she admitted. "He said some things, I said some things, and before I know it we're both out of that damn gate."

"You rebel!"

"Oh please, don't act like you don't know me."

There was a momentary pause. "Let him in, Shar. He really cares about you."

**I just wanna start again  
****And maybe you could show me how to try  
****Maybe you could take me in  
****Somewhere underneath your skin**

Sharpay rested her head on Dan's broad shoulder. "How would you know?"

"I'm a guy."

"Yeah, that explains _so much_," she retorted sarcastically.

"Well, okay, no guy in their right mind would skip school with a girl and risk getting caught unless there's sex involved—"

"Urgh!"

"Or he really cares about her," he finished.

"Dan—"

"Give the guy some credit, Shar. He's trying his best, and I'm sure he wouldn't come all the way here with you if he didn't think anything of it."

"I can't give him promises, Dan, and you know that, right?"

He nodded. "I know, darling, but he probably isn't expecting you to, either. He just wants to be in your life."

"It's only going to hurt him in the end," she murmured.

Dan stopped in his tracks and gently set her down on her feet, then turned around to face her. He took a step forward, his head bent, their noses inches apart, and his sky blue eyes instantly captivated her. "Some guys aren't afraid of getting hurt in the end 'cause love makes it all worth it."

"That's really deep, Dan Patch."

"I try to be," he gave her a small smile. "But you get what I'm trying to say, right?" he asked, his facial expression sober.

**What do you say to takin' chances?  
****What do you say to jumpin' off the edge?  
****Never knowin' if there's solid ground below  
****Or a hand to hold or hell to pay  
****What do you say? What do you say?**

"I should give him a chance?"

"That's all he needs."

Sharpay sighed. "I'll think about it, alright?"

Dan grinned, satisfied. "That's all I need."

"Sharpay! Shar?"

"Speak of the devil," Dan muttered, snickering as they pulled away to see Troy Bolton standing and looking awkward. He'd worn back his shirt and his copper-coloured hair stood up in sodden points from the perspiration.

"Yeah?" Sharpay yelled back.

The basketball captain didn't come closer, but jammed his hands into the pockets of his pants, looking sour. "We should get going. We still have a proposal to complete," he stated, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"He's jealous," Dan noted, clearly enjoying himself.

Sharpay gave his arm a quick smack. "Shut up," she told him, then turned to look at the other guy. "Alright, give me a minute!"

She was expecting Troy to leave, but he stood there waiting. If it was possible, he looked even more uncomfortable.

"You better go. You're torturing the poor guy," Dan chuckled. "I can feel him seething from here."

"You're terrible!" Sharpay hissed.

"But you love me, right?" he joked, spreading his arms wide open.

She slid into his warm embrace, burying her face into the base of his neck, inhaling his salty, musky scent. "I love you, Dan Patch."

"Love you too, Sharpay Evans."

"Thank you," she whispered and gave him a soft peck at the corner of his lips.

"You're welcome."

**Don't know much about your life  
****And I don't know much about your world**

**

* * *

**

"So…" Troy began, dragging the word out. Sharpay took her eyes off the road for a nanosecond to acknowledge him, and saw that he was restlessly fidgeting in his seat. They were on the freeway driving back to her house, and she had insisted on taking over the wheel, just because she felt he'd invaded her car enough already.

The journey had been quiet so far, with Troy not being able to properly look her in the eye as she unsuccessfully hid a devilish smirk. Sharpay knew that somehow she had him cornered, but she didn't want to think too much about it and hadn't asked him anything at all. On the other hand, he looked as though he was bursting to say something all the while but was just trying to find the right words.

"Is there something going on with you and Dan?" he finally blurted out.

Sharpay had to bite her lower lip to stop herself from grinning. The insecurity in his tone was actually kind of adorable, flattering even. "What do you mean?" she asked as innocently as possible.

"I mean—you know—like—I mean, are you guys like…" he trailed off.

"Like what?"

"Friends with benefits?"

Sharpay nearly choked on her own spit. "What?"

"Or do you guys have a history together?"

"Dan and I?"

"Yeah, I mean, I'd totally understand you know—"

Oh God, she really _was_ torturing his poor chap.

"Troy, we don't—"

"No, no, I get it. I think he's a cool dude and all, you know and I'm sure he'll be a perfect—"

"Troy!" she finally stopped his rant. "Dan and I aren't friends with benefits, okay, and we don't have a history together—at least not the one you're referring to."

From the corner of her hazel eyes, she saw him visibly relax, and she felt that she probably owed him an explanation for all that he'd gone through today. "Dan and I, we go a long way back," she went on, staring straight ahead. "He's everything to me. He's been there for me when my own twin brother hadn't. Can you believe it? Everybody thinks Ryan and I do everything together just because he's always been by my side in school, but they don't know that he's never usually there when I need him the most."

"Really?"

Sharpay shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "It's a funny story how Dan and I met. Well, you know the rocks where we were at just now?"

"Yeah."

"It used to be dead deserted, especially at night. Well, it still is anyway, but I used to go there a lot because it's so quiet and peaceful, and I felt free." She chortled in reminiscence. "And, you wouldn't believe me, but I used to go skinny dipping."

Troy coughed in surprise at the confession and flushed a deep shade of red. It was definitely something he hadn't expected to hear, but she was sure he believed her, especially since he was squirming in his place. If she didn't know better, he was probably imagining her stark naked at the moment. Sharpay arched a perfectly sculpted brow as he cleared his throat.

_Pervert._

"Anyway," she continued, ignoring his discomposure. "I was in the water, and then this guy appeared out of nowhere just drifting on his surfboard, and I was just praying he wouldn't see me. But he did. I tried ignoring him, you know, hoping he'd just leave me alone and go home or something, but he decided to jump into the water." Sharpay laughed. "Shit, I was horrified!"

"What did you do?"

Sharpay could tell that Troy was struggling to sound aloof. Deciding to spare him from further pissing himself, she said, "I told him to fuck off, basically, and then he asked me if swimming in the sea naked at night was as fun as it looked. That bastard knew all along—said he saw me stripping—and so I slapped him."

Troy muttered something under his breath.

"What?"

His face turned a deeper shade of crimson. "Nothing!"

Sharpay decided to let that one slide. "Am I making you uneasy or something? 'Cause you can tell me, you know, and I can stop—"

"No, no," he quickly said. "Go on."

"Alright," she tentatively resumed. "Well then, he told me that if it made me feel any better, he could lose his board shorts."

"Did he?"

"Faster than the speed of light."

"Huh."

"I guess there's just something about talking to someone when you're in the nude—a special bond if you will—I mean, we were just two people who are complete strangers to each other, but you know you have nothing else to hide when apparently you've bared it all."

"You two seem pretty close."

"Dan taught me how to surf, and whenever I'm not busy with school plays and all, we'd hang out or go skinny dipping," she explained. "With Dan, there's this sense of consistency, like no matter what's going on with our lives we can always depend on each other to be the same person we've always been. Sometimes you just need people like that to remind you that you're not alone in this world."

"Sharpay?"

His voice sounded so timid, she couldn't help glancing over. "Yeah?"

"You're not alone, you know."

There was an underlying meaning behind those words that wasn't lost to her, and she understood exactly what he was hinting at, but Sharpay also knew that there were some journeys that she had to walk through on her own. Involuntarily, she tightened her grip on the steering wheel as she tried to hold back the sinking feeling in her chest. She didn't say anything more and instead offered him a weak smile.

_You say that now, Troy._

It was a little after four in the afternoon when they arrived at her house, and she was satisfied to know that her pest for a brother wasn't home, just like she had predicted.

* * *

**A/N:** So…how was that? I think it was an emotional roller coaster ride, don't you think? I'm sorry if there are unnecessary or random things in the story, but there are certainly reasons for them all!

Firstly, the reference to the five elements of hiphop. I'm a dancer, but the five elements do not really consist of that (except BBoying), but I respect hiphop for what it is and in no way do I want to change the originality of it all. It's just something I want to share with people, that hiphop really isn't about all the blings and gang fights and partying all the time.

Secondly, the Gibbon Slackline is something I just recently picked up. Go to and search for videos of it, and you'll understand what I meant in the story. I felt that it was a good way to introduce a completely new and different aspect of Sharpay's life, and also a wonderful opportunity to introduce Troy to other characters. I think it allows more development for the characters as well.

Thirdly, the character Dan Patch is taken from the CW Television show called Hellcats, starring Ashley Tisdale and Aly Michalka, featuring Matt Barr as Dan. I just took the name, and therefore their characters do not in any way relate to each other (although, might just add a mention of Savannah Monroe somewhere in the story later on).

**Nikita Jain:** You're welcome sweetie! I've checked my email, and yes, I've received yours. I'll drop you a personal email regarding this update :D Thank you so much for reading! Hope you like this chapter :D

**62toasters62:** Thank you so much! I'm glad I've made you happy! It's really a pleasant surprise to find such a long review, and I really appreciate your time writing it :D It makes my day! By the way, I used your "gun to the head" line in this chapter, dedicated specially to you! I guess to Sharpay, helping the orphanage is a humbling thing. It keeps her grounded. The last thing she needs is for people to think she's pretending to be a goody-two-shoes just to get some kind of fame or recognition. Makes sense, doesn't it? I feel it also adds to her independent attitude. So anyway…I hope you like this chapter! Tell me what you think, k? :D

**Clotisy:** Have I told you before how I love it everytime you review? If I haven't…I love it when you review! And so to answer to our question, I definitely do not hate you :D Well, if it'll make you feel better, this is an incredibly long chapter (without an abrupt cliffhanger)! You better have gotten your eyes checked, or you'll end up disappointed again (what with the naked Troy and all…LOL!) Well, in this chapter, Troy would have wanted to see Sharpay naked, so no double take there :P What's a Mexican wave? Is it like when you're watching a sports game and then you just stand on your seat and wave your hands and everyone else follows suit? I cracked up about the Ryan in the closet comment! Well, I'd probably do much worse to Chad than just cut his hair (but then I'll be charged with murder), and I'd probably just feed Taylor's brain to the sharks, hehe! Okay, so let me know how you feel about this update alright? Hope you liked it!

**Xcreamchip:** Hehe…aww…I'm glad you love my story! Yeah, I've been really busy, but only lately things have started to settle down a little and I was able to continue with this. Well, ultimately, this story isn't just about Troy and Sharpay falling in love, full stop. It's their journey together to figure out their feelings for each other and what they have to go through along the way. There are essence of them together, like their undeniable chemistry and their occasional carnal desires but I do believe that loving someone is not as easy as it seems. Hope you like this chapter! Thank you so much for the review!

Songs used — "Stutterin'" by Fefe Dobson and "Taking Chances" by Celine Dion.

P.S: I've got a couple more alerts and favourites, it would be nice to see a contributing factor between reader and writer. Please do let me know what you guys think, alright? Good or bad, they're personal opinions and I respect them all.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: **Hi guys! I know I'm such a terrible person and I keep doing this to you, but I'm truly sorry. Sometimes I wish that my job really is to just write this story day in and day out, but it's not. I'm a graphic designer, and that can be tough at times. I know that's not an excuse to keep you waiting, so once again I apologise for the inconvenience.

I'm quite excited for this chapter because things are slowly unfolding. Sharpay and Troy's attraction are growing stronger and…you'll just have to read on to find out!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 23**

"Ryan's not home?" he wondered out loud, darting his cerulean blue eyes all around the Evans' huge mansion. Despite the couple of times he'd been inside the house, the sheer volume of it didn't cease to amaze him. Somehow there was always something new each time he was there, so spick and span it was like walking in a museum.

Sharpay tossed her set of keys into an antique ceramic bowl on the kitchen counter. "That's actually the whole point, isn't it?" she replied and carelessly threw her bag down onto one of the high stools while he perched himself on the other.

"Are you avoiding him or something?"

She sighed in punctuated resentment to the topic of conversation, but nonetheless—tucking a blonde lock behind her ear—she explained, "he's been getting on my nerves lately."

He paused, studying her. "Is it because of me?"

"I don't want to discuss this any further, okay?" she snapped.

Troy winced inwardly, but figuring he didn't want to be kicked out of her abode, obediently nodded his head. _Well, that went great_, he thought sarcastically. _Way to go and annoy her, Bolton._ With that in mind, he decided it was best to just shut his trap. Mentally, he stored away the newfound information, reminding himself to file it under 'alerts'.

He rested his arms on the cool marble counter top and watched as she opened the fridge and began inspecting its contents. A small grin tugged at the corner of his lips as he mirrored her tilted expression.

"Do you want something to eat?" she asked domestically without looking up at him.

"Uh…sure, what have you got?"

Sharpay snickered. "The entire Wal-Mart."

"Great, I'll have a bagel, please," Troy teased, recalling the pastry listing she'd given him the previous time he'd arrived unannounced for breakfast. "Toasted with cream cheese on the side."

From where he sat, he could practically envision the blonde rolling her almond-shaped eyes, but he couldn't help himself. It was something he felt compelled to do to break the barely existent yet comprehensible tension in the room. He hadn't expected her to actually retrieve a bag of frozen bagels and an unopened block of cream cheese from the freezer and set it on the centre island. Troy blinked, unsure of exactly why he was surprised. "Wow, you're not kidding about Wal-Mart."

Her reply came in a smirk.

As Sharpay undid the knot on the plastic package, Troy once again found himself fixated with the stunning blonde actress. Even when she was doing something as mundane as taking a piece of bagel out of the bag, she looked absolutely angelic. The afternoon sun filtered softly in through the huge French windows, instantly bathing her in an aura of a warm and rich ginger glow. Transfixed, his eyes misted over her flawless complexion, down to the perfect bridge of her nose and lingered for a second on her luscious rosy lips. Her hands—those dainty fingers—he noticed how adept they were as she set the frozen pastry on a plate and placed them in the microwave oven to heat up.

Delicately, she dusted the leftover flour off her palms, and Troy had to remind himself how he'd seen her around the mess of toddlers without a single complaint of cleanliness. A tiny burst of emotion swirled up to his chest as he replayed priceless images in his head. Sharpay would work for what she wanted, and was unlike those stereotypical blonde-haired rich brats prancing down the state capital for haute couture in their excruciatingly tiny but excruciatingly expensive stilettos and golden-labeled cloth-lacking garments. Sure, she had a housekeeper. Troy figured it was pretty much a mandatory necessity, given the sheer volume of the property and the deficiency of parental guidance, but even then she had never been served on hand and foot. Well, not that he knew of.

She sealed the rest of the bagels with a knot, and Troy felt his breath hitch when she gracefully spun around to return the package back into the fridge. The gentle sway of her hips ignited a barrel of flames down south to forbidden grounds, and suddenly he felt the constriction in his pants. Troy mentally gave himself a well-deserved slap across the cheek but found himself gulping down a breathless profanity for allowing her to affect him in such a way without even meaning to.

_Shit_, he thought, and silently counted to ten.

The soft _ding_ of the microwave stole her attention and he tensed, worried that she might pick up on the abrupt hitch in temperature. He locked his gaze on her, and when it appeared that she hadn't noticed anything amiss, he slowly released his bated breath. Slipping on an oven mitt, she carefully extracted the plate and plopped the bagel onto a cutting board, where she then fished out a serrated knife from the drawer and proceeded to carefully slice the bread into even halves. Troy observed in fascination, noting how her professionally-sculpted eyebrows would furrow ever so slightly as she worked, or how at times she would nibble on her bottom lip, causing a stir in a particularly sensitive region on his body. His actions, they mimicked hers in subconscious the split moment her pink tongue darted out to wet her lips.

_Shit._

With that same bread knife, she sliced a small portion of the cream cheese, then steadily balanced it in horizontal and pinched the ends to peel off the layer of protective paper before plopping the semi-solid block onto the plate.

"Would you like some crackers to go with your cream cheese and bagel?"

Her question hauled him back to the present.

"Huh?" he blinked.

Sharpay planted her left hand on her hip and arched an eyebrow. "Would you like some crackers to go with your cream cheese and bagel?" she repeated monotonously.

"Er, no, no thanks."

"Alright then, here you go," she said, setting the plate down in front of him. "Enjoy."

Troy gave her a lopsided grin. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she replied with a slight nod, then went back to further inspect her fridge. "You want anything to drink?"

"Yeah, that would be nice."

"They're in the other fridge, over there," she told him, casually waving to the other corner of the kitchen. "Knock yourself out."

Troy had to admit, though, he was deeply impressed for two reasons: The first being that he simply hadn't seen a house with two ridiculously humongous refrigerators before. It felt like her family was in the culinary business, with all the state-of-the-art equipment, endless food supplies and spotless countertops. And as he made his way over to the other fridge, he couldn't stop smiling at the second reason: her generosity. She wasn't stingy with anything, and nothing really bothered her. However, he did feel it was more of her informal and indirect way trusting him in her house. Both of them, alone and together, it just felt right.

He opened the door and was instantly bombarded by the variety of beverages she had to offer. Each carton, can and bottle was primly categorized in a certain type of insanely organized order. Troy was spoilt for choice, so he decided to get Sharpay's opinion.

"Hey, while I'm here would you like anything?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

She glanced over at him, a bowl of fruits in one hand. "Soy milk would do."

It took him approximately thirty seconds to find it—and when he did, he noticed there were three different types lined up alongside each other. _Wal-Mart_, he thought.

"Regular, less sugar or almond?"

"Almond."

He looked skeptically at the carton, wondering which weird person came up with almond-flavoured soy milk, but then he felt that he should probably give it a shot. Besides, if Sharpay liked it he had to find out why.

"The cups and glasses are in the dishwasher," she informed him, as though she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Thanks."

He instantly found two clean glasses and poured hearty portions for the both of them, then took a sip.

"Hey, this isn't so bad," he noted.

Sharpay stopped peeling an apple and grinned—a genuine non-condescending grin—and Troy immediately felt himself reacting to her smile. It was undeniable and contagious. "What were you expecting?" she asked.

He shrugged, not knowing how to answer her without sounding like a total dork, and she went back to completing her task. Troy drank another mouthful of the almond soya milk, all the while keeping his watch on her every move. Sharpay was gently cradling the red fruit in one hand, a paring knife in another as she peeled the layer of skin off with the precision of a chef. Her movements were smooth and intricate.

Hypnotic.

She began slicing the apple into small dices, the sharp blade penetrating into the juicy flesh, and with each stroke of her hand he found himself drawn deeper into the motion. Something about her movements that made it so sensual, so _fucking_ irresistible, he had to suppress the strangled sound that threatened to emanate from deep within his throat.

**I'm gonna wear you down  
****I'm gonna make you see  
****I'm gonna get to you  
****You're gonna give in to me**

Once she was done with the apple, she moved on to the strawberries. She took her time, carefully choosing the freshest of the crop, holding them up one at a time for proper inspection. Suddenly Troy felt a strong surge of jealousy—ridiculous as it might seem—at how lucky and privileged the fruits were to be under Sharpay's intense scrutiny. At one point of time—after cutting a strawberry into four pieces—she popped one into her mouth in that excruciatingly sexy way of hers, and he almost lost it completely. _Almost._ Troy stifled a groan as his mounting carnal desires overtook his teenage hormones.

_Shit._

The lust was blinding. He didn't know watching Sharpay Evans work her way around the kitchen would turn him on so bad, it wasn't funny.

**I'm gonna start a fire  
****You're gonna feel the heat**

"What are you making?"

Her hazel eyes immediately snapped up to meet his ocean-blue ones, now dark with passion. Troy hadn't intended for his voice to come out so low and husky, but she'd gotten him hot and bothered—and he needed release. His burning gaze was penetrating, and he was sure she had caught on to him. There was a brief flicker of emotion, and Troy could've sworn he saw _want_ in her gorgeous features.

**I'm gonna burn for you  
****You're gonna melt for me**

Did he see that right?

Sharpay was the first to look away. "Fruit salad," she said, clearing her throat.

Maybe he did.

"What's your favourite fruit?"

"Mango."

That sound coming out of her lips, it shot straight through his arousal.

_Fuck._

Troy struggled to scavenge for any remnants of sanity, because he knew that if anymore beautiful sounds came out of that blonde Goddess, there was nothing else in the world that would be able to save him. He'd be damned, but without another thought, he took three deliberate strides and stood directly behind her, outright invading her personal space.

She froze, knife in hand poised to slice the ripe yellow mango in front of her.

He leaned down so that his lips were by her ear, and whispered, "It's my favourite too."

**Come on, come on  
****Into my arms  
****Come on, come on  
****Give in to me**

Before he could stop himself, he planted a soft, lingering kiss on an erogenous spot in the hollow behind her earlobe, and felt her shiver at the touch, spurring him on as he bravely darted his tongue out to taste her skin.

_Fuck._

It was sweet delicacy, and he was instantly drunk.

Sharpay's startled gasp sounded more like a restrained sigh—an inner battle with herself—but it jolted her awake and she attempted to pull away, only to be held back by Troy's lightning-quick reflexes as he grasped both her wrists and trapped her between his body and the kitchen island.

"Troy, what are you—"

"Don't stop," he murmured in baritone.

Despite the internal chaos that was probably reigning inside her, Sharpay managed to dice the rest of the mango with outmost composure, and when she was done, Troy wasted no time diving in to the side of her neck and quenching his thirst for her. He left a trail of heated kisses down from her jaw line to the slender slope of her neck, where he paused momentarily to inhale her captivating scent. He heard her set the knife down and felt a slight tremble course through her as her breathing became short and ragged.

"Do you know why they're my favourite?"

Sharpay's reply was nothing above a whisper. "No."

**You're gonna take my hand  
****Whisper the sweetest words  
****And if you're ever sad  
****I'll make you laugh  
****I'll chase the hurt**

Troy growled a low animalistic rumble, and recklessly spun her around to pin her against the counter. He could feel every inch of her, the heat radiating from her body sparked up a thousand fireworks deep within him, and he hissed. Rivers of wanton sensations brought waves of dizziness crashing over him. His eyes were tightly shut, but he felt her hot breath misting over his face, and he fought to form coherent thoughts.

"Do you want to know?"

There was a slight pause, and Troy was tempted to lift his eyelids when she said, "is it worth knowing?"

"Oh, yes, but I'd like to taste it first."

If Sharpay had detected the innuendo behind his words, she didn't show it. Instead, wordlessly, she slipped a bite-sized piece of mango into his mouth. Troy clasped her hand there, and then tantalizingly began sucking each finger clean of the juice. Satisfied, he let out a slow moan.

"Yum."

"How is it?"

**I'll use my eyes to draw you in  
****Until I'm under your skin**

He finally opened his lust-filled eyes, unleashing the full power of his irresistible cerulean blues on her. "Just the way I like it."

"Good." Her dilated pupils spoke more than did her words—not that there were many to begin with.

"But I like it even more with dessert."

Her monosyllabic answers were reduced to mere murmured sounds, and it drove him absolutely crazy to know he was having such an effect on her. "Yeah?"

**I'll use my lips, I'll use my arms  
****Come on, come on, come on  
****Give in to me**

"I like it hot, and juicy," he drawled, punctuating his sentence with a tormenting drag of his tongue across her luscious lips. "Succulent and spine-tingling." His nimble hands traveled lower to appreciate the curve of her hips, his mouth continuing on the blissful torment as he captured her lobe with his nipping teeth and then laved by his capricious tongue. Sharpay mewed softly, an echo so sexual Troy figured his soul was spinning on an axis. "Scrumptious."

All of a sudden she pulled away, as though an invisible force had dropped her back to reality.

Panting, she grated, "no, Troy. We can't do this."

Just like that, he felt as though someone had slammed him face-first into the ground. With extreme difficulty he peeled himself away from her, cursing anything and everything in the world for playing such a cruel trick on him. Clenching his fist, he took a few steps back, his chest heaving with pent-up frustration.

"This has to stop, Troy," she told him, her knuckles turning white from clutching onto the edge of the countertop. "This has to stop."

"I'm sorry."

He couldn't even bare to look at her, too overcome with shame and guilt. He'd lost control and he was disgusted with himself. He'd once again tainted the purity of their relationship with his atrocious lack of control, stained it with his selfish lust.

"I—I should probably go take a shower," she mumbled, refusing to meet his eyes as she scrambled to haphazardly chop up the rest of the fruits and dump them into the bowl. "If you'd like to freshen up, you can use the guest bathroom down to the left by the living room. There are fresh towels and what not, and you know, I'm feeling kind of icky from all the slacklining and the sweat, so—"

"Yeah, maybe I'll just…do that," he cut her off, saving her from all the rambling. Sharpay still hadn't met his eyes, so he backed out of the kitchen and escaped into the still comfort of the main hallway.

_Fuck._

* * *

The feel of hot water pounding down onto her back was deliciously soothing, every droplet was kneading the tension out of her stiff muscles. God, she truly needed this—this time away from a certain basketball captain. Sharpay poured a generous amount of vanilla-scented liquid soap into her palm and slowly began lathering herself. Bit by bit, she felt the stress drain away with the shower, slowly blanking her thoughts till every bit of Troy Bolton left her mind—and replacing his image with one of a tranquil turquoise ocean—at least for that moment until she would have to eventually leave the comfort of her bathroom and face him.

Sharpay's hazel brown eyes popped open in panic.

Shit, the things he was doing to her.

Involuntarily a shiver ran through her body as she replayed the scenario over again in her head—the way his hot breath misted over her ear, it left a blazing trail down the side of her flawless face. Or the way his fingers danced across her curves, the heat permanently imprinted to her skin. Or the extremely insatiable way he spoke as his tongue curled around every word that came out of his tender lips.

Just then she heard a light tapping on the door, jolting her out of her reverie.

"Um…Shar?"

_Damnit!_

Scrambling to turn off the shower, she blindly reached out to grab her towel off the rack and dried herself in a flurry before securely covering her nude form, scowling and cursing with each movement as tendrils of wet hair plastered themselves across her eyes. Shoving aside her blonde tresses, she spat out a profanity and opened the door.

"What?" she snapped, but as soon as she saw his bare chest—strong and defined—all anger vapourised in a single breath. Her eyes were transfixed on a single rivulet of water that trailed down his torso, watching as it disappeared into the towel wrapped around his waist.

Troy cleared his throat and Sharpay flushed a deep shade of red upon realizing that she'd indeed been shamelessly staring. She quickly fixed her face to look disinterested, but felt it fall flat and scowled when she saw a small smirk play upon his lips. Crossing her arms, she jutted her chin upwards and regarded him with half-hearted disdain.

"What?" she repeated.

It was his turn to blush as he contemplated on the right words to say. He reached a hand up to rake his fingers through his thick damp hair, causing strands to stick up in sodden points. Sharpay arched an eyebrow in impatience.

"I—You—Do you—I need—"

"What, Troy?" she said through gritted teeth.

"I don't have clothes," he blurted out.

Sharpay tilted her head in confusion.

"And I was wondering if you have any spare shirts I could wear," he continued, his cheeks turning into a deeper hue of amber.

"I didn't know you were a fan of pink frills and lace," she teased with mock sarcasm.

If it were possible, he seemed to redden even more. "That's not what—Shar!" He was beginning to whine at being put in such a position, and Sharpay couldn't help but enjoy his discomfort.

"I have a cerise pink Juicy Couture velour sweatshirt if you want," she said as innocently as she could—at least without bursting into a fit of giggles.

Troy groaned. It was almost cruel how much she was torturing him.

"Or my satin cherry blossom La Perla nightgown more of your style?"

He looked absolutely mortified so she decided to spare him from further humiliation. Chuckling, she said, "I think Ryan has something you can wear."

"No!" he immediately protested, startling the blonde girl in front of him. "I mean, I don't think your brother would like that at all."

"You're right," she nodded. Sharpay twisted her lips in an adorable pout as she paused for a moment to think. "Where are your clothes?"

"In the bathroom downstairs."

"Bring them up and I'll see what I can do," she said, and without waiting for his reply, she shut the door in his face.

Her knees almost buckled as the perfection of his toned body stayed imprinted in her mind and she quickly grabbed on to the nearest furniture to stabilize herself. Looking at him shirtless and sweating earlier on was one thing, but seeing him all clean and refreshed brought out a whole different feeling in the pits of her stomach. Sharpay placed a hand over her heart to try and slow down her rapid breathing, unsure if Troy had notice the acceleration in her pulse, but then realized he probably was as flustered as she was. Being an actress just gave her an upper hand in hiding her nerves.

She was jolted out of her reverie by the beeping of her phone, signaling an incoming text message. Crossing the room over to her bed, she rummaged through her bag and fished out her cellphone.

_We need to talk. Call me.  
__-Dan_

Sharpay tilted her head in confusion, but figured she should give Dan a call. However, just as she was about to hit the 'call' button there was a knock on her door.

_Shit_, she thought, suddenly aware that she still had only a towel on and that Troy Bolton was at the other side of the door.

"One sec!" she yelled, dashing over to her walk-in wardrobe. Not bothering to care about choice of apparel, she blindly pulled out matching black lingerie set, a pink tank top and a pair of cotton polka dot shorts before escaping back into her bathroom to change—narrowly tripping over her own two feet. After getting her clothes on, she haphazardly brushed her still-damp hair to prevent it from tangling later on when it dried. Usually—under different circumstances—she would've used a hair dryer, but with Troy barging in any minute, she really didn't have the time.

Sharpay burst out of the door and rammed straight into a solid mass.

She shrieked.

"Jesus, Troy!"

"Sorry, sorry," he sheepishly apologized, raising his arms in surrender when she took a whack on his bicep. He saw the agitation in her brown eyes and couldn't hold back his laughter.

"Damnit, Bolton, stop stalking me already," she growled, pushing past him to sit on her bed.

"I'm really, really sorry, Shar," he told her sincerely even though he couldn't wipe the amused grin on his face. "But your one second was up."

His humour didn't tickle her. If anything, it made her frown deepen. She hated being the topic of ridicule—more so his topic of ridicule. "Clothes," she demanded, stretching her palm out and glaring at him.

Still smiling, he handed his articles to her, to which she snatched from his hand and stormed out towards the laundry room at the end of the hallway. Angrily, she dumped his clothes into the washing machine and let it run. By the time she returned back to her bedroom, Troy was sitting on her bed, flipping through one of her magazines, a bored expression decorating his boyish face. He seemed to sense her presence and glanced up.

"Read anything interesting in there?" Sharpay asked, planting her hands on her hips.

"I did, actually," he replied with a thoughtful nod, not even the least bit ashamed for getting caught reading an unauthorized section of the magazine.

She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Have some class, Bolton," she huffed, grabbing the publication out of his hold. A brief glimpse at the bold headline told her everything she needed to know in the editorial. Flashing him her sweetest smile, she added with faux innocence, "although you can really use the help in here."

Troy regarded her with a smirk. "You mean the ten ways to spice up my sex life?"

"You can't spice up what you don't have," she retorted.

"Now, wait a minute—"

She held up a hand to cut him off. "I don't want to hear it."

His face fell just the slightest bit and he mumbled, "you don't have to. You're in it."

Sharpay ignored his comment as she retrieved her laptop from the bedside table and placed it on her duvet in front of her. Neither one of them said a word as they waited for the computer to boot up, and it was beginning to make her a little uncomfortable. Suddenly she wondered if she'd in fact hurt his feelings, but she really didn't want to travel down that road again—that awful road of confessions and unspoken secrets. It was way too physically and emotionally taxing, and she'd had about enough for the day.

However, the quietness between them was slowly driving her insane. The awkwardness in avoiding such a scandalous topic was engulfing her whole body, the tension evident in her muscles. She was sure he felt it too. Being so involved in her thoughts, she didn't even notice the screen prompting for her password till she felt a gentle poke to her right cheek. His touch sent a jolt of electricity sizzling through every nerve ending in her body. The skin-on-skin contact paralysed her for a split second before she promptly recovered and blindly tapped on her keypad without looking at him. She could feel his eyes burning intensely on her, and it made her nervous. It took her six miserably embarrassing tries before she finally got it.

"Are you okay, Shar?"

She let out a frustrated swoosh of air. "Yeah."

His gaze penetrated her. "You sure?"

"Don't push it, Bolton," she growled, her tone clearly telling him to back off.

Thankfully, he did.

Sharpay swiftly opened the document for the proposal. "Alright, let's get this done and over with," she said, angling the laptop so that Troy could read it as well.

"What do you have left to do?" he questioned as he skimmed through the contents.

She scrolled over to a section and pointed to it. "I've got a brief description of Zashley orphanage and what it does, and I'm thinking I should add in some photos to go with it, but if we're going to convince the board I think there should be more to it."

Troy nodded. "Maybe we should talk about Carmen," he suggested, shrugging his shoulders. "Like what inspired her to open the orphanage and how she went about building the place, the difficulties she'd faced and is facing at the moment."

Sharpay grinned, completely impressed with his input. "Sounds great," she agreed. "I know bits and pieces here and there, but I can give her a call right now and see if she's free to talk to us."

"Cool! Put her on speaker and I'll take notes."

* * *

"Alright, thank you so much for your help, Carmen," Sharpay said with a giggle as she swatted Troy's hand away. He had been trying to doodle what seemed to look like a rocket on her arm for the last ten minutes, and she figured it would be a bitch to remove the ink later on.

"I'll send you guys some photos I have right away," Carmen promised, her voice sounding excited through the speakers. "I can't even begin to thank both of you enough for what you're doing to help the orphanage. It really means so much to me and the children. Just let me know if you need anything, alright?"

"Sure, Car. You've done so much for the children, and I'm just glad that I can be a part of it."

"I'm proud of you, Shar."

Troy witnessed her humbled smile and his heart swelled with newfound emotions. She wasn't slapping him away anymore, so he took advantage of that and quickly drew a small heart on the underside of her wrist directly on her pulse point.

Sharpay glanced at him, tilting her head in confusion. "I'll come by the orphanage on Saturday, okay, I mean if that's fine with you?"

"Since when do you need my permission, Shar?" the other lady teased.

Troy laughed at that.

"I'll see you Saturday, then."

"_We'll_ see you Saturday," he corrected, flashing the blonde actress a lopsided grin.

Sharpay just rolled her hazel eyes.

"Alright then, you two," Carmen said, the amusement clear in her voice. "Behave yourselves, now. Talk to you soon, and thank you, guys, for everything. Bye!"

"Bye!" both of them chorused.

Sharpay hung up the phone and turned her wrist to have a good look at his artwork. She glared at him. "Troy!" she shrieked, rubbing her thumb furiously over the spot. "It won't come off!"

"Why do you want it to come off?"

"Are you kidding me?"

He held her arm and gently traced the shape with his index finger—his touch was nothing but a brush of a feather—and he felt a slight tremor course through her body. The corner of his lips twitched up into a smirk, and before he could stop himself, he placed a lingering kiss on it. She let out a small gasp.

"I like it there," he murmured, his cerulean blue eyes piercing through her almond ones. "You should get it tattooed."

Sharpay cleared her throat and then opened her mouth to say something, only to close it back again and wriggled her hand out of his grasp. Troy's grin widened upon realizing he'd rendered her speechless. What she couldn't convey in words, she made up for it in her hard and intimidating gaze. He wasn't the least bit deterred by her and she knew it. He had the upper hand in this situation, and as it dawned upon her he could see the myriad of emotions flickering in those twin pools of chocolate. It always drove him insane how she'd managed to paint images into his head with a simple look. But he was a curious wonderer, and he needed to uncover the depths in her artistry. She was the first to break the stare and he reluctantly released her wrist.

"So," she began, partially disoriented. "What have you got?"

Troy glanced down at the notepad on the bed. The page was filled with scribbles, none of which anybody would be able to decipher but him. He picked up the pen and started tapping it against the words, piecing his thoughts together.

"Well, we can start with Carmen's mum passing away when she was five, and that she had to take care of her two-year-old brother most of the time because her dad's always working odd hours and juggling three jobs at once to make ends meet," he explained, his brows furrowed.

Troy took a moment for her to digest the information and rephrase it to her own words, but when he didn't hear the clicking of the keys, he looked up at her. Sharpay's fingers were poised on the keypad, and she seemed to be staring into space. He raised his hands up to her face and snapped his fingers, waking her from her reverie.

"Sorry, what?" she stuttered, tucking a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear.

He studied her for a while, and knew that she wasn't in the right mental state to work on anything. Something else was clearly on her mind or she wouldn't be so distracted.

"Maybe we should take a break," he suggested.

As soon as he said that, he was expecting her to disagree and shoot him with a witty comeback of some sort, but she just bit her lower lip and nodded her head. He saw her deeply inhale and exhale to regain her composure, but as he took a closer look—something he always did with her—he noticed a hint of moisture that had gathered at the corner of her eye. Troy's forehead wrinkled in concern.

_Was it something I did?_

"Shar?"

"What is it?" she said flatly.

He was about to ask her the one cliché question anybody would ask, but figured she wouldn't appreciate it as much.

So instead, he asked, "you wanna help me run lines?"

Her hard exterior softened into a small, grateful smile. "Now?"

She tried to sound irritated, but he knew she was anything but. He grinned. "You promised," he teased.

"Yeah, but—"

"Come on, Shar, please—"

"Troy—"

"Don't make me use my secret weapon."

She snickered. "Secret weapon?"

With that, he jutted his bottom lip out and gave her the puppy-dog pout. "Please…"

Sharpay rolled her auburn eyes at his child-like behavior, giving in at last. "Fine. Do you have your script?"

He shook his head. "No need, I've got it all memorized."

She wasn't convinced. "Seriously?" she wondered skeptically.

"Go ahead," he challenged. "Hit me with your best shot."

**And I'd give up forever to touch you  
****Cause I know that you feel me somehow  
****You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be  
****And I don't want to go home right now**

Troy waited as she sifted through her head for the perfect scene. Her face lit up for a second before she took another deep breath and rotated her position so that they were directly in front of each other. She then took the previously discarded magazine and pretended to read it.

"People can see," she muttered, gazing up at him from beneath her long lashes. Her expression turned sullen, and just like that she was in character.

He knew immediately which scene she was acting from.

The cafeteria.

Troy leaned forward and rested his elbows on an imaginary tabletop, lacing his fingers together. "And that would ruin your reputation, how?"

Sharpay cocked an eyebrow and he could see that she was rather pleased, but it swiftly disappeared, and she went back to keeping her eyes on the reading article in her hands, ignoring him with a bored expression.

"What's that?" he wanted to know, gesturing towards the magazine.

She didn't look up, but showed him the cover. A beat later she said, "I'm reading all the novels on Mr. Rothberg's best American authors list."

Troy tilted his head, more intrigued than curious. "How many books are there?"

"A hundred," she replied at once, though she remained unperturbed. "Then there's his classics list. And his European list."

He took it all in, as if the information was new to him. "That on your 'Life List'; to read all those books?"

Sharpay doesn't deny it, nor did she acknowledge that he'd spoken.

Troy looked a bit deflated, but he seemed rather determined since she hadn't bitten his head yet. "Jamie," he said, pushing the magazine down so that he could see her. "Maybe I want to try being positive."

She only narrowed her eyes in reply, before huffing and covering her face once more with the publication. Troy closed his eyes for a moment, as though the truth was hurting him inside—too much for him to admit it out loud.

"Maybe I miss doing that dumb play with you."

At that, Sharpay's eyebrow knitted together in a frown, and he darted his eyes around at the make believe audience they had.

**And all I can taste is this moment  
****And all I can breathe is your life  
****Cause sooner or later it's over  
****I just don't want to miss you tonight**

He lowered his volume to a whisper. "Maybe you inspire me," he told her as sincerely as possible, and at that very moment he realized just how true that was. He wasn't speaking as his character anymore.

He was just Troy Bolton.

And he wanted Sharpay Evans to know how much she meant to him.

Still in character, she slammed the magazine down on the bed, and even when she was scowling, Troy couldn't help but think that she was most adorable when she was fiery.

"That sounds like bull."

"Which part?"

"All of it," she snapped.

"It's not," he defended.

"Prove it," she hissed, then picked up her magazine and stalked across the room to the other side.

"Jamie—" Troy called out, jumping up and chasing after her.

She turned around abruptly, and he nearly crashed into her body. Her soft blonde hair whipped around and brushed his cheek. "You lack honour," she seethed. "You lack compassion. You lack honesty. You lack humanity."

**And I don't want the world to see me  
****Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
****When everything's made to be broken  
****I just want you to know who I am**

He held her arm. "Okay, maybe some of that is true—"

She shrugged him off. "You don't know the first thing about being someone's friend—"

"I don't want to be just your friend—"

Sharpay took a dangerous step closer to him, her hazel eyes blazing with fury. "You don't know what you want—"

"Neither do you," he interrupted, moving nearer so that their noses were merely inches away. "Maybe you're just too scared that someone might actually want to be with you—"

"And why would that scare me?"

"Because then you couldn't hide behind your books and your telescope and your sweater and your God."

They stood there, staring each other down, both chests heaving, poised to pounce and kill. Troy could feel the tension seeping into his skin and penetrating into his flesh and bones. The iciness in her stance was a stark contrast to the burning heat of her glare, and the shiver that ran down his back was something he couldn't quite fathom. The powerful conflicting emotions were draining out his inner being, and suddenly, his entire person felt weak.

He knew he had another final line to deliver, so with a burst of energy, he said, "no, no, you know the real reason why you're scared?" Troy reached out and cradled her face in his palms. "It's 'cause you wanna be with me too."

_End scene._

Sharpay took a staggering breath, not breaking their interlocking gaze. "Fade to black. End scene," she murmured, but didn't pull away.

And he didn't let her go.

Seconds felt like an eternity, and he watched as the flame slowly died in her chocolate eyes till her eyelids fluttered shut. Troy wasn't sure what to do, so he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. He heard the small gasp that escaped her luscious lips—a sound so innocent and sensual; he had to suppress the boiling urge to kiss her. The effort left him whimpering.

"Troy—"

"Don't—"

"Troy—"

"Sharpay, I'm going to kiss you if you don't shut up now," he choked out.

She squeezed her eyes tight and swallowed hard. "No—"

"Yes."

The kiss, it was hungry and scorching like never before. His hands slipped down to the sides of her tank top, tugging on it to press her delicious body up against his. He felt the heat radiating through his bare skin and beneath his fingers as they massaged her waist. A deep moan was heard but Troy wasn't sure which one of them emitted it. Her nimble hands traveled up and combed through his shaggy mahogany hair. It was just the encouragement he needed to slide his tongue into her mouth.

"No!"

She gave him a hard forceful shove that drove him stumbling backwards.

"I think you should leave," she told him, turning away, her whole posture growing rigid.

Troy reached out for her—yearning, tentative—but halted in midair, knowing full well he shouldn't be touching her—not while he was still incapable of controling his desires. Sighing, he curled his fingers into a fist and dropped it to his side.

"Look, Shar, I didn't mean—"

"Yes, you did." The fragility in her voice broke his heart. "But I just can't—"

He couldn't understand it. "Just can't what?"

"I can't do this with you, Troy," she cried out. "I'm not as strong as you think."

"What's that supposed to—what are you talking about, Shar?"

"Just go, Troy," she softly requested, almost pleading and she gestured towards the door.

**And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming  
****Or the moment of truth in your lies  
****When everything seems like the movies  
****Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive**

Her back was still to him but his cerulean eyes never left her figure as he reluctantly exited her room. Which every step that he took, he found himself pausing and yearning for her to stop him—to tell to stay, and with every inch he moved away from her, he felt the dread and regret pulling from his guts. It took an immense amount of willpower and self-preservation to not drop to his knees right there and then, and beg. He hated leaving her, especially considering the present circumstances between them—despised himself for his never-ending stupidity. It sickened him every single time he caused her even a tiny sense of distress. The very last step he took out of the door, he just wanted to pull the trigger to his head—to ease her emotional pain with his physical one.

Yet, he knew that he was so close to getting what he wanted.

What he _needed_.

So when he finally peeled his sapphire orbs away from her frame, he whispered, "Shar, you're right. If anything, you're stronger."

Hoping, just _hoping_ that she could hear him.

* * *

"Troy!"

The booming voice of Coach Bolton reverberated throughout the entire house, and he froze before cursing at his squeaky sneakers. He heard the heavy thumping of steps—filled with fury and a bruised ego—and within seconds the presence of his father—in all his anger and gory—engulfed the entire space. Troy winced—fearing the impending onslaught of verbal hurricane—grudgingly faced the man.

"Where were you after lunch?" he roared, his tone indicating that he already knew the answer, but demanded that his son came clean instead.

Troy figured his dad was giving him a chance, but some things were just his to keep. He'd already received crap from the coach once over a fucking detention. He didn't need anymore shit for truancy. Quickly weighing out his options, he eventually settled on one he felt he could count on to escape.

Shrugging as nonchalantly as possible, he replied, "in school."

Jack Bolton narrowed his eyes with a warning glare. "Then why did I get a call from your Physics teacher telling me that you and Sharpay Evans weren't present?"

"I was at the nurse's office," he smoothly lied. It stunned him a little bit just how easy it came out. He wasn't the kind of son to be anything but truthful to his parents, but nonetheless he was glad that he actually had ammunition should he ever need to fight a war. "The tuna casserole didn't sit well."

"The cafeteria was serving bacon sandwich and mashed potatoes."

"Zeke made it. Said he was trying a new recipe."

_I'm going to burn in hell_, he thought.

"Were you with Sharpay?" his dad wanted to know.

Troy shook his head, trying to mask his expression as best as he could.

It was then that the coach finally blew up. "Stop lying to me, Troy!"

"I wasn't—"

"When your History teacher mentioned that you weren't in her class, I gathered the team and asked if anybody had seen you after lunch," he spat out, seething. "The last person who saw you was Chad, and he mentioned that Sharpay was with you. Apparently you boys got into some sort of argument and you left. So then I checked with Mr. Lutz and Sharpay wasn't there for Literature."

God, it was such a pain to have a teacher for a father.

"So where were you?" he barked, nose flaring like a charging bull about to attack.

"That's none of your business," Troy shot back.

**And I don't want the world to see me  
****Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
****When everything's made to be broken  
****I just want you to know who I am**

His father's face pinched with rage. "It is mine when my son thinks he can just skip school, disregarding any consequences whatsoever. I thought I taught you better than this, Troy."

The boy bit back a retort, although he was certain of the lecture that was coming up. It wasn't something he was unfamiliar with anyway. His dad had been using the same speech for as long as he could remember. Word for word, they were imprinted in his brain like an old broken record on replay. It was exhausting.

_He_ was exhausted.

The last thing he needed was to be reminded what a perfect role model he had to be for the rest of the school. It was a predictably boring path to follow—keep his grades, excel at sports, be appointed valedictorian, get a good scholarship to an ivy-league college, kick off a successful career, get married and start a family—and he hated how mandatory his dad was making it sound. As ideal as the whole plan sounded, Troy wasn't going to be his dad's guinea pig.

"—if you'd just listen and be like me—"

"I don't want to be you, dad," Troy fumed, finally losing all patience.

One thing he couldn't tolerate was being compared to his father.

The silence that followed was deafening as parent and child threw invisible daggers at each other. There was a flicker of disappointment in Jack's steel gray eyes, and something akin to hurt, but mostly his dad seemed shocked.

"I don't need you dictating every second of my life," he said firmly.

"This is about Sharpay, isn't it?"

Troy blinked, and for a moment was completely thrown off-guard by the question. "What is?"

"You getting detention and skipping school? It's about that girl, isn't it?"

If his father hadn't sounded so bitter when he mentioned Sharpay Evans, he probably wouldn't have been so angry. But the venom that he'd used in his tone to associate with the blonde actress was unacceptable.

"You don't know anything, dad."

"I can't believe you, Troy!" the older man sputtered. "You got into trouble and disobeyed the school rules just for a girl. What is_ wrong_ with you?"

"She's not just a girl," Troy hissed through gritted teeth.

"Don't be stupid, alright?"

"Do you know what's stupid? It's allowing you to lead my life the way you want it!"

"I only want what's best for you."

"You don't decide what's best for me!"

As soon as those words left his mouth, he froze. Those words, they were so achingly familiar, echoing in his ears.

Then he remembered.

_Sharpay._

His dad reeled back, stung.

"You've never talked back to me before."

"Well, maybe it's about time I did."

**And I don't want the world to see me  
****Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
****When everything's made to be broken  
****I just want you to know who I am**

With that, Troy spun on his heel and was about to make his way up to his room when he halted in his tracks. Standing on the base of the stairs was his mother, and the crushed look on her face made his stomach turn. An overwhelming sense of guilt enveloped him like fresh snow on a blizzarding winter's night. Never in his life had he seen his mother so upset with him. A wave of nausea hit him like a concrete slab, and he quickly averted his eyes to the floor, trying his best to ignore the queasiness as he trudged up to the second floor.

As soon as Troy reached the safety of his room, he collapsed face down onto his bed. Instantly he noted how his sheets weren't as soft as Sharpay's, and that it didn't have the sweet scent of vanilla.

And all of a sudden, he missed her.

But she was the only one who would understand him.

Yet he knew that she needed her space.

His hand itched, though, to just dial her number and hear her canorous voice. Heck, he'd be contented simply by listening to her breathe. However, he wasn't granted the privilege and it was killing him. The dull ache in his heart returned and the emptiness he felt was on the brink of being unbearable.

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Troy?"

He groaned and buried his nose deeper into his pillow.

"Troy, may I come in?"

Knowing that he couldn't deny his mother, he croaked out, "yeah."

He heard the door creak open and then click shut, but still he refused to look up. The mattress dipped under the newly-added weight as she sat down.

"Troy?" She didn't sound angry nor was her tone that of anything friendly. Tentative, was more like it, but nonetheless Troy knew she was there with a purpose.

"Troy," she tried again, this time gently laying her hand on his back.

"What?" he murmured.

"Are you okay?"

He hadn't expected that.

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

Troy tilted his head, finally glancing at his mother. "What is it, mum?"

"I'm just worried about you, Troy," she admitted, her eyebrows creasing with concern. "I mean, getting detention, skipping school…that's not like you at all. What's going on?"

He sighed and swiped a hand over his weary face. "It's nothing—"

"Honey, please, I just want to understand."

"You won't—"

"Try me."

Troy pondered for a moment, and then he gazed up at his mother's sincere expression. He rarely hid anything from her, mostly because there simply was nothing to hide. Before Sharpay Evans, he was pretty much the best son any mum would be proud to have. He could be pretty mischievous sometimes and a tad bit naughty, but nothing came close to the massive tidals of emotions that washed over him just by being with her. That girl could make him feel alive like nobody ever had.

The adulation he had for her was indescribable.

Taking a deep breath, he began to narrate his thoughts.

"It happened at a party…"

* * *

The ringing of her cellphone broke her typing pattern. She glanced at the screen to identify her caller. Her eyebrows shot up and instantly her heart began thumping in her chest.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Sharpay? It's Dr. Lambert."

"Yeah?"

"There's something important I need to tell you."

**And I don't want the world to see me  
****Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
****When everything's made to be broken  
****I just want you to know who I am**

* * *

**A/N:** And that's it for chapter 23. Yes, folks, I'm leaving you with a cliffhanger, but at least the story's growing, and you get to see more of Troy's life at home and his interactions with his family.

Anyway, here's my tribute to my wonderful reviewers!

**Xcreamchip:** Hi! I am so glad you're still reading my story and reviewing! Gosh! Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure is airing in May where I live, so I'm pretty excited about that. I'm sure it'll inspire me after I watch it, and you'll have faster updates from me! :D Thank you so much for your wonderful comments! I'm so glad you liked the previous chapter! I wasn't really sure if my addition of characters would be a good or bad thing for the story. LOL! I would totally love to have Troy and Sharpay go skinny dipping together! I'll try to squeeze it in somewhere (hint, hint) Well, I figured a relationship under these circumstances would need a lot of time to grow, and I'm glad you like the songs! Hope you've enjoyed this chapter!

**62toasters62:** Thank you so much for still reading my fanfic and continuously reviewing! I appreciate it a lot! And yes, Sharpay's been so comfortable where she'd been for so long, and the moment something shifts so suddenly, she's still figuring out how to go about adjusting to the situation. After trying to get him to like her for so long, she finally just let it go and accepts the loneliness. And then suddenly Troy's so persistent to be with her. It's a shock because she doesn't know what to believe. Anyway, hope you like this update! Let me know what you think, yeah?

**Neila_cross:** Firstly, thank you so very much for taking time to actually re-read like 20 or so chapters! I know it couldn't have been easy, but thank you once again. Sharpay and Troy do have a long way to go, actually, and they're both figuring out what they really want, especially Sharpay. LOL! I'm glad you spotted Dan Patch in Hellcats. I really like the show, but I haven't found my calling to write a fanfic about it. Maybe one day I'll be inspired and then I might come up with something :D Hope you like this chapter! Review and let me know!

**Abril4:** Hi there! Thank you so much for reading my fanfic and the wonderful comments! I try as best as I can to give my readers quality reading material (after all the wait that they had to go through). It has elements of A Walk to Remember, and is greatly inspired from it. Besides, the play that they'll be doing in the story is A Walk to Remember. Thank you so much for loving this story! Hope this update satisfies you! Let me know, ok?

**Clotisy:** Have I mentioned to you how I squeal everytime I receive a review from you? Well, I do, and it's because sometimes I fear all the wait makes me lose all my favourite readers! But I'm so glad that you've stuck by and read on. It's a great motivation all the time! LOL! I read your review at work and I literally laughed out loud, to the point where my Creative Director actually asked what the heck I was doing! You totally make my day! Haha…it is quite funny with all the sexual innuendos, right? I actually didn't think of it that way till you pointed it out! Double LOL! Trista and Dan WILL be making more appearances. If not, it'll be unnecessary to add characters and then forget about them, isn't it? So yay! But it's nice for Sharpay to have friends like Dan and Trista who keeps her in check. They're the Non-Judging Breakfast Club (Haha…Gossip Girl) and sometimes Sharpay needs them. I'd like to think that there are a lot more to the Evans twins than the school knows, and yes sometimes Ryan can come across pretty gay but this connection between Ryan and Trista might play an important part later on in the story (hint, hint)! So, I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. Let me know what you think! Can't wait!

**Virmett:** Hi! I wouldn't have blamed you if you've forgotten about this story, really. I totally understand, and I'm really honoured and grateful to know that you'd come back and check on this. It's a great motivation because it gives me reason to carry on, knowing that there are people who are interested. So I'd like to thank you so much for being so patient and for the wonderful comments! I think I've worked on this story for 3 or more years now, and there's no way I'm letting it go without a fight. I just wish I have more time to dedicate to this story because I love writing this and I want to continue writing this. So if anything, once again I'd like to thank you for continuously reading this and sharing with me how you feel! Hope you like this chapter!

Songs used — "Give in to Me" by Leighton Meester and Garrett Hedlund, "Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: **Hello! I'm quite amazed that I'm getting this out faster than I thought! But before I let you on with the chapter, I'd like to thank each and everyone who's been reading this, regardless of whether you actually reviewed. I've gotten new alerts and favourites almost every day and I'm just so appreciative of them all. To my reviewers, as usual, I've left my shout-outs below.

Now, on with it! Enjoy!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 24**

"Shit," he mumbled ripping away the bright yellow piece of paper that was stuck to his locker, familiar enough to know that it was a detention slip.

_For a week?_ His mouth hung open in disbelief at first, but then it quickly gave way to animosity. _This is bullshit!_

Troy knew that the Coach wouldn't let him off that easily, given the severity of his actions the day before, but he hadn't expected to be penalized as such. Five days rotting in a classroom after school for two hours was going to be excruciating—even more so now that he obviously had better things to do.

He crushed the note in his hand and shoved it into his pocket, the bitterness of the punishment fuelling his already foul mood. Scorning with distaste, he wondered if Sharpay had received the same sort of damnatory as he did.

A discreet glimpse down the hallway to where a certain blonde's trademark pink locker was didn't confirm anything, and he suddenly grew anxious. Students were starting to fill the corridor so Troy quickly grabbed the necessary books and headed for his first class—until he spotted a massive bob of curly hair over by a water fountain. All at once his temper flared with the fury of an erupting volcano, channeling all degrees of hatred towards his teammate as he marched over.

Chad caught sight of him approaching and his lips broke into a wry smile.

_That son of a bitch._

Troy's already furious expression twisted into a menacing scowl. Before Chad had the time to register anything, Troy had him slammed up against the wall, gathering the front of his flannel shirt into a tight fist.

"What the hell, Troy!" he gasped.

"I though you were my friend, Chad," the basketball captain fumed. "I can't believe you'd sell me out to my dad."

"What are you talking about?"

Troy tugged on his friend's shirt. "Don't fuck with me, Danforth."

"I didn't do anything!" he sputtered, wild umber eyes darting from side to side.

The commotion had created a crowd to gather around them, curious students stopping to watch the two school royalties battle it out, and Troy was acutely aware of the attention that he was drawing to them but he was far from caring about his reputation.

_Screw it._

He already knew that the school's clean-white perception of him had been tainted the second he associated himself with Sharpay Evans. There was no doubt he'd been the main topic on everybody's tongue, and although certain words weren't completely directed at him he still felt the burning sting at the end of every nasty rumour. They could think of him anything they wanted, he was beyond interested. Eventually, nothing that they say would affect him in any way.

"You told the Coach!"

"I had no choice. He was—"

"It wasn't his business," Troy spat out.

"You were breaking school rules," Chad pointed out, gaining courage. "He was just doing his job."

"I know," the other boy said sarcastically. "I've got a week's worth of detention to prove it. You could've covered for me, and you knew that."

"It's for your own good, Troy. Sharpay was—"

The sound of her name was all it took to renew the rage that was bubbling under, and Troy pinned his teammate harder against the solid concrete.

"I make my own decisions, Danforth," he seethed. "This has _nothing_ to do with Sharpay."

"Are you blind?" Chad retorted, though his intimidating efforts were faltering. "She got you into trouble."

"Like I've said, I make my own decisions. _You_ got me into trouble."

"He was already suspicious," Chad informed him formally.

"I would have lied for you, Chad, like I had many times before."

"Why are you doing this, Troy, huh? For _her_? What is it about her that's so special to you? Don't you see what she's doing? Or was she a good fuck and—"

Troy drove his fist down on the wall directly next to Chad's left ear, narrowly avoiding his cheek, emitting startled gasps and cries from the rest of the students. It didn't matter. The rest of the world was nonexistent to him. By degrading Sharpay like that, Chad had insulted him.

His stunning sapphire eyes glazed over with ire. "Fuck. You."

Chad gulped down, utterly stunned. "Troy—"

"You know what? Sharpay's right," he muttered, so low that only the other guy could hear. "You don't deserve to know anything."

Still, he wasn't done. There was something that he needed to know. "What do you have against her, Danforth? What has she ever done to you?"

"She's changed you, Troy."

He nodded in agreement. "But that's not for you to judge, is it?"

"I just—"

"Stay out of my life, Danforth," he warned through gritted teeth. "I don't want your stereotypical hypocrite self anywhere near me or Sharpay, got that?"

"Dude, I'm just trying to look out for you—"

"I said, stay out!"

With one final shove, Troy stormed away, leaving behind his reeling ex-best friend.

* * *

She'd witnessed the exchange—heard every word, caught every detailed movement and gesture—but from the hidden corner where she stood watching, Sharpay couldn't stop the small grin that crept across her rosy lips. Her rapidly-beating heart—pounding harder even through bated breath—did a tiny flip of joy as she hugged her school books closer to her chest.

To say that she was flattered would be a complete understatement.

After all, Troy Bolton had stuck up for her.

Heck, he had actually severed ties with his only childhood best friend over an unfair judgment. True, Chad had been worried for the King of East High when he said those things, but it was still unacceptable nonetheless. It hadn't bothered Sharpay at all. She was so used to the whispers and dirty looks, Chad's harsh comments about her felt nothing close to an ant bite.

Obviously Troy had seen it as an insult and retaliated.

In front of the entire school.

Sharpay bit her lower lip. She couldn't get rid of the scene that kept replaying in her head, shuddering everytime she imagined the scorching intensity in his ocean-deep cerulean blue eyes as he stared daggers down at his wingman. Never had she seen him so furious and passionate about something—or rather _someone_—before. It both stunned and intrigued her.

She had never known anybody who'd go through such extremes.

Just for _her_.

Perhaps she should thank him properly. He deserved as much, right?

Or give him a chance.

It was what he wanted, wasn't it? Hadn't he already proved to her that he truly cared?

**It's been 7 days, 50 calls, I can't lose this, I can't sleep  
****Cause every time you talk I stall so confusing, non excusing no**

The blonde actress glanced at her phone, scrolling through the twenty-three text messages he'd sent her the previous night after he'd left, either apologizing or simply asking how she was. He had even called her about a total of eleven times—in between all the texting—all of which she'd ignored and gone to voicemail.

Maybe she shouldn't have.

But after the phone call she'd received from her doctor, the last thing she needed was a reminder that her life wasn't meant for him—that it would _never_ be meant for him—or at least the life he envisioned anyway.

Trista was right. He deserved better.

Only, she couldn't bear the thought of robbing him of the one thing he's so adamant on having. Yet, she was fully aware that it was probably the best thing for him. There was just too much conflict going on for her to decide at the moment.

**You keep me spinning baby and I'm falling  
****And I can't hold this in anymore**

The pink device in her hand started to vibrate, signaling an incoming text message. Looking down at the screen, the name 'Dan Patch' was blinking underneath the SMS icon. Sharpay playfully rolled her eyeballs but went ahead and read the message.

_Shar, we need to talk.  
__-Dan_

She sighed in submission and typed a reply.

_When?  
__-S_

However, before she could even wait for a reply, the school bell rang, and students began scrambling towards their respective classes. Sharpay scanned the hoards of people in the hallway and stole a quick glimpse at her cellphone. Nothing from Dan. The crowd was thinning, allowing her just the right amount of time to blend in. She hurriedly adjusted her silky blonde curls and tapped a finger to her lips to ensure that there was sufficient gloss before straightening her pastel pink silk top—not that she looked anything but perfection. She was still—after all—the Ice Queen. Squaring her shoulders in confidence, she emerged from the shadows—accidentally startling a timid-looking freshman as she did—and strutted towards the chemistry lab in all her glory.

She spotted him the second she stepped into the room, sitting near the aisle. He always sat there—usually either with Gabriella or Chad—but not today. Troy was alone, glaring down at an empty notepad and mindlessly twirling a pen in between his fingers. His eyebrows were furrowed and his lips were set in a thin line, and he appeared disturbed. Sharpay hesitated, wondering if she should go over and take that seat beside him. She figured it would be a great opportunity to properly thank him.

It didn't take long for her to contemplate, though. The sound of her chemistry teacher clearing her throat startled her enough to carry her own two feet over to the third row, where she casually plopped herself down on the available high stool right next to him. Troy—still deep n concentration—didn't even notice her presence.

She leaned closer to him. "Hey."

He blinked out of his reverie, and when he saw her grinning at him, he tilted his head slightly. "Hi," he replied grimly.

"Listen, I—"

Something at the corner of her eye caught her attention and she turned away from Troy to see Chad entering the classroom with Taylor and Gabriella on tow. They walked down the aisle and passed by without even a second glance. Sharpay could tell that the afro-haired boy was just putting on a calm exterior, but she didn't miss the brief flicker of a flinch when he came within arm's length of his ex-best friend, and she figured he was still reliving the memory of the almost-punch. Taylor simply huffed, as though she couldn't tolerate being in the presence of people with lower intelligence than herself, and Gabriella, she actually looked terrible. Her jet-black hair hung like straw dipped in tar on her head, and there were deep purple bags under her eyes. She seemed skinnier somehow; maybe it was the oversized off-shoulder sweatshirt, black leather skirt and knee-high boots ensemble, but she reckoned it was mainly due to the fact that she looked like a somnambulist. Gabriella didn't make any eye contact whatsoever, simply staring ahead.

When they were gone, Sharpay peeked over at Troy for a reaction. He had stopped twirling his pen and had resorted to clenching the object tightly in his hand, so hard that his knuckles were turning white. Instinctively, she reached over and slid a consoling hand atop his. He whipped his head to face her, the touch clearly surprising him.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Alright." She was about to pull her hand away when he suddenly grasped it, intertwining their fingers and holding on to her as though it was a lifeline.

"Don't," he pleaded.

**I know that we're moving too fast  
****But I can't let go and it may not last but  
****I'm going deeper, deeper head over heels  
****I go deeper, deeper  
****And I hope it's for real this time**

"But I need my hand to write," she teased.

"You write with the other hand, sweetheart," he pointed out, smirking.

"You're heinous."

Troy patted her arm. "You wouldn't like me any other way."

Twenty minutes later, when everybody was busy copying down notes, Sharpay decided she should start thanking him. She discreetly checked out everybody in the classroom. It was relatively quiet, and no doubt people would be able to hear her even if she whispered, so instead, she flipped to a fresh page in her notebook.

_Saw what happened in the hallway. Thank you._

She swiftly ripped the paper from the binder and shoved it across the table, then immediately pretended to continue taking down the equations on the chalkboard. It didn't take long before Troy wrote a reply back to her.

His handwriting was messy, and she had to squint to make out the words. Beside her, she heard him snicker quietly.

_You don't have to thank me for anything, Shar, but you're welcome._

Sharpay tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear before responding.

_You didn't have to make Chad your enemy._

She slid the piece of paper back to him, only to have her actions halt when she felt his warm, slightly calloused hand brush over hers, sending a static jolt through every nerve ending and electrifying her senses. Her breath hitched in her throat, and she thoroughly hoped he didn't pick up on it, but as he gently ran a finger down the underside of her wrist, she knew he could feel the shiver that coursed through her body. He lingered for a little while longer than he should, and then slowly snatched the paper away.

**And I realise now you're in my life  
****Nothing matters, nothing comes in-between**

Sharpay felt her face flush and cursed inwardly. She still couldn't believe how she'd always manage to allow Troy to affect her like that. It was embarrassing!

_He didn't respect my decisions._

His answer made her arch a perfectly-sculpted eyebrow.

_Impressive._

Just then, the bell rang, indicating the end of first period. She began gathering her stuff and was about to leave when he felt his eyes on her.

"What?"

"I have algebra next period," he informed her.

"Current affairs," she said with a shrug.

"Well, then maybe—"

"Talk to you soon?" Sharpay interrupted, hoisting her sequined magenta bag over her shoulder.

**I surrender now and I will not fight  
****What we have is only you and I  
****When you're gone I'm so empty  
****I'm waiting and I'm longing to see you again**

"Yeah."

With a tiny wave, she skipped out of the lab.

* * *

The hallway was jam-packed with teenagers heading towards the cafeteria for lunch. Sharpay groaned as she exited the classroom and was instantly being swept into the current of hungry jostling students. Her face contorted in disgust at the sight. The one thing she completely couldn't stand was sweaty and body odour-infested adolescence.

Taking a deep breath, she composed herself enough to fix her trademark icy scorn.

"Get the hell out of my way!" she demanded, and people automatically parted for her, knowing full well what kind of social and political power she held, possibly now more than ever. Satisfied, Sharpay sneered in a condescending manner and flipped her hair pompously over her shoulders. She knew it was all for show, refusing to showcase any form of weakness. People still needed to know that she was in control.

She flounced over to her bright pink locker, embracing the familiar thrill of superiority.

Just as she was about to reach her locker, someone abruptly swooped in and blocked her path. Sharpay was about to open her mouth and offer a painful remark when she saw who it was, and her whole face lit up.

"Dan!" she squealed and leapt forward to greet him with a hug.

He wrapped his arms around her petite frame, practically cocooning her. All around her, Sharpay could hear the volume drop and she was well aware that rumours were already spreading throughout the entire school, but she paid no attention. If she doesn't make a big deal out of the situation, everything will eventually just blow past. She's been there, done that a thousand times over.

"Well, hello there."

Dan released her from his hold and took a step back to study her from head to toe, a lopsided grin on his ruggedly handsome face. Sharpay couldn't help but roll her hazel eyes. He immensely enjoyed doing that, despite how shameless it was, though she knew that he was just protective of her and her wellbeing. He was still inspecting her neck when she finally couldn't take it anymore and cradled his cheeks in between her palms.

"I'm fine, Dan," she told him, enunciating every word as best as possible.

He shrugged. "Alright, I'll take that."

"What are you doing here?" she asked, dropping her hands so that she could open her locker.

"Well, I'm your new classmate," he announced, spreading his arms out in gusto.

She was skeptical. "What?"

"Yeah, I figured that it's about time I do something with my life, so I'm going to finish high school," he explained. "I applied yesterday, and since they have an available slot for me—"

"School started hours ago, not during lunch time," Sharpay pointed out as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Orientation," he simply answered.

She turned to fully faced him and tried hard not to burst out laughing. "Seriously, Dan Patch."

"I'm serious!" he insisted.

Sharpay paused for a second, narrowing her almond-shaped eyes. "What do you _really_ want?"

"Evans, I can't believe that after all these years you still don't trust me."

"I _do_ trust you, just not your lies," she said in amusement as she slammed her locker shut.

"See, now that's a contradicting statement," he went on, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the row of metal doors. "If you really trust me, you wouldn't think I'm lying."

"Oh, please," Sharpay snickered. "Alright, so which teacher did you get for English?"

Dan fell silent, and she knew that she had caught on to him, though she really didn't know why he was still trying. He'd never been the best liar, which was what made Sharpay like him so much. It was the ultimate secret to their friendship: The fact that he was always so honest with his opinions. She could consult him about anything and he wouldn't at any point judge her or give her false perspectives. Dan was so down-to-earth, it was impossible for them not to get along so well.

"Ms. Panabaker?" he guessed.

Her mouth hung open. "How did you know that?"

"I…don't?" he sheepishly admitted in surrender. "Okay, you got me, Shar. I'm not here to play the minion to your Queen, but I really need to talk to you."

"Now?"

He tilted his head questioningly. "You received my text, did you not?"

"But you didn't reply to mine!"

Dan pursed his lips together solemnly, but there was a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. "I did."

Sharpay planted both hands on her hips. "When?"

"Right now?"

That did it. She playfully whacked his bicep. "You're so annoying!"

He winced exaggeratedly. "Ow, Shar! Stop damaging me, will you?"

"Just tell me what it is that's so desperately important, alright?"

"Can we go somewhere else to talk?" he requested, suddenly looking slightly uncomfortable. The cheekiness from earlier on dissipated in a heartbeat and his face grew serious.

"I guess we can sit outside?" she suggested.

"No, not in school," he shook his head.

"What?" she drew back in confusion. "Why?"

"Not unless you want everybody to know."

"About what?"

"I'll tell you, Sharpay. Just not in school."

Sharpay was getting worried now. "Okay, you're starting to scare me, Dan Patch. What's going on?" she demanded to know.

He refused to tell her. "Not here."

"So where—"

"Our spot," he said, and when she opened her mouth to protest he urgently added in, "I _promise_ I'll get you back here in time."

"But I'm—"

"I've packed lunch. Caesar salad topped with grilled chicken and Worcestershire sauce, your favourite—"

"I don't—"

"There's a steaming cup of Caramel Macchiato sitting in the car just calling your name," he tempted, waggling his eyebrows, knowing full well it was her weakness.

"That's not going to—"

"Did I mention the pistachio and bergamot macarons from Vanilla's?"

Sharpay sighed in defeat. Vanilla's macarons were her everlasting drugs of choice. They would've blown Dan's wallet quite a bit, not to mention the forty-five-minute drive he'd have to make down to the city to find them. Dan obviously had it all planned out, and he definitely wasn't going to let this slide till he'd gotten his way. "Fine, but if I don't get back in time—"

"I'll surrender myself in the mercy of your dainty hands," he swore, dramatically clutching his heart.

"I'm seriously holding you on that."

He smiled charmingly. "I'm counting on it."

* * *

Troy watched her leave with him and felt a deep stab of unexplained jealousy. Frankly, he really wasn't exactly sure why he was feeling this way—like an overprotective boyfriend—when he was fully aware that they were just great friends with a fairly platonic relationship. Well, according to her anyway. Still, he couldn't help wishing to be the person that could make her laugh like that—like nothing else mattered in the world—and he envied Dan Patch, now more than ever.

The chemistry between them was undeniable. It was a gravitational pull unlike any other, perfect pieces of a puzzle. They fit together in sync, like two people who were destined for each other, and the realization that dawned on him made his already aching heart break.

**I know that we're moving too fast  
****But I can't let go and it may not last but  
****I'm going deeper, deeper head over heels  
****I go deeper, deeper  
****And I hope it's for real this time**

His cerulean blue orbs never left their retreating form—staring—fixated when he noticed how casually the other guy's hand rested on the small of her back and the easy smile that played on her lips whenever he spoke.

Easy.

That's what they were.

But it only reminded Troy of what he _wasn't_.

He longed to have that similar connection with her some day, longed to be the first one she came to and confide in.

_Bullshit._

Alright, so he wanted more than that. As selfish as it was, he wanted to be the _only_ one she came to. He was driving to the brink of insanity and obsession, but somehow it just didn't seem enough. She wasn't walking out of the main entrance with him now, was she? He wasn't the one escorting her out the door.

Well, it _should_ be.

_Where are they going?_ he thought to himself, brows furrowed.

Troy hoisted his backpack higher up his shoulder, counting out the possibilities as he stood amongst the army of youths bustling in the hallway. If curiosity killed the cat, he was pretty damn sure he'd already been buried six feet under. The thoughts that surrounded him were endless, and falling on the side of absurdity as each bizarre scenario began piling up on another. God, he was even wondering if they were going to hire a private jet and fly thousands of miles to the island of Vanuatu just to scuba dive.

Pathetic.

He was pathetic.

And he was starting to sound like a perverse stalker too.

Troy was seconds away from picking up his legs and going after them, observe them from a safe distance, but what if they were heading out of school? He couldn't afford another week of detention.

The best idea was to wait till he next saw her and casually ask.

Simple.

_Easy._

"Hey, Bolton!"

He whirled around at the sound of his name and let out an audible groan.

_Fuck. What, now?_

Troy didn't think his luck could get any worse when he spotted Ryan Evans heading for him. The brunette did a quick search for an exit, which, unfortunately there weren't any before miserably succumbing to his fate. It was like facing Judgement Day.

"What is it, Ryan?"

"Where's Sharpay?" the twin questioned, jabbing a finger to the other guy's chest.

Troy swatted his hand away, not the slightest bit intimidated. "I'm not your tracking device."

"Don't fuck with me. Where is she?"

"I don't know," was his only reply, because seriously, he had no idea.

Ryan narrowed his steel gray eyes. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"It is what it is."

"Don't you have classes with her?" he accused with a bitter overtone in his voice.

"That was first period Chemistry," Troy informed him calmly. "We had different classes after that."

Ryan scoffed. "Oh, please. You follow her around like a little lost puppy in search of an owner. Don't think I don't know that."

"I appreciate you not comparing me to a cockroach," Troy sarcastically retorted.

"So I'm pretty sure you know where she is."

"You know what, Ryan? I don't know where she is!" the basketball captain spat out. "Why don't you call Dan Patch and ask him?"

Ryan paused, suddenly confused. "Dan? How do you know him?"

"I don't have time to play twenty questions with you, Ryan, but if you want to know, I saw your sister leaving with him a few minutes ago!" Troy was frustrated. "I don't owe you anything, okay, so just leave me the fuck alone!"

**This is the end of holding back  
****And I won't quit and I won't slip  
****You've sent me railing off my track  
****And I won't slow down**

With that confrontation out of the way, Troy dodged past the blonde actor and camouflaged himself amongst the crowd, still pretty much in a foul mood. Whipping out his mobile phone, he scanned through his contact list till he found her number.

_Where are you?  
__-T_

* * *

"Sing it! I love rock and roll! So put another dime in that jukebox, baby! I love rock and roll! So come and take the time and dance with me!"

"Ow!" Sharpay howled, swinging her arms up in the air and whipping her hair around, completely indulgent in the song.

Beside her in the driver's seat, Dan was vigorously nodding his head to the music as they continued belting out the tune at the top of their lungs in an exaggeratedly off-key manner. Neither one of them cared about their outlandish behavior. It was something they normally did, and Sharpay was having a blast as she pushed all of her problems out of her mind.

_Damn, I miss this,_ she thought.

"Guitar solo!" Dan exclaimed. He released his grip on the steering wheel to begin playing an imaginary guitar like a pro on stage.

"Oh, my God, Dan!" Sharpay shrieked, quickly taking over to realign the car back to the correct lane.

They were driving down a fairly deserted highway when Sharpay barely heard her phone beep. Grabbing both of Dan's wrists, she positioned them back on the wheel, and then started rummaging through her bag for the offending device. She took one look at the text message and froze.

Dan noticed the sudden tension and asked, "who's that?"

"Troy."

"What's it about?"

Sharpay shrugged, running her fingers through her blonde tresses. "He just wants to know where I am," she answered before carelessly sliding the phone onto the dashboard.

Dan raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to tell him?"

"He doesn't have to know."

"But he_ wants _to," Dan pointed out.

She frowned. "Where are you going with this?"

"He's just worried about you."

"You wouldn't—"

"Sharpay," he cut in, placing his hand on her knee. "Just shut up and accept it."

She averted her gaze away from him and stared out of the window. Blankets of grassy fields and sparsely sprinkled trees whizzed by but all she saw was an array of colours, blurred to the point of unknown.

Too many shades and too much grays.

There was no distinction.

"Hey, you okay?"

Sharpay blinked out of her reverie and focused her hazel eyes on him. "Troy stood up for me today, in front of everybody. He threatened Chad, his best friend—well, now ex-best friend—to stay away from him."

Dan tilted his head thoughtfully. "Wow, do tell."

"Troy got into trouble with his dad and apparently Chad was the one who snitched on him," she explained. "But then Chad started blaming me for everything in Troy's life. One thing led to another and all I knew was that he was defending me."

The corner of Dan's lips curled up in an amused smirk. "What was it exactly that he said?"

Sharpay didn't need to think hard to recall anything. His words—that voice—they echoed with light, engulfing the dark abyss of her life with bright promises. "He said that he makes his own decisions, and I had nothing to do with any of it."

"I appreciate a grand gesture as much as the next guy, Shar, but that has to be the most melodramatic thing I've ever heard."

He was teasing her now, in a way that only he could, and she couldn't stop the bodily response that came next. She whacked the back of his head.

"Sharpay!" he grimaced as she gave him her most innocent look, batting her eyelashes coquettishly. "God, you're going to leave bruises."

She stuck her tongue out childishly. "You're such a pansy!"

"I do have a certain street cred to maintain, you know."

Rolling her eyes, she said, "why don't you call them your battle scars, then?"

"Speaking of battle scars…" he trailed off, and without warning abruptly swerved his white Silverado to take a turn down a bumpy dirt road, practically throwing Sharpay off her seat.

"Are you trying to get me one?" she screeched, holding on tightly to anything and everything that she could find.

He had the audacity to actually wink at her, and Sharpay's face pinched in abhorrence. There were times when his total disregard for her safety and the vehicle, and the loathing she had whenever he would treat it like a dessert buggy, aggravates her to no end. Dan had a habit of driving as though he was navigating through rough terrain.

Eventually, he slowed down to a stop right smack in the middle of nowhere.

"Where the _fuck_ are we?"

He killed the engine and looked over at her, his lips pursed in a thin line. She shrunk back slightly at the emotions that were suddenly reflected in his cyan blue eyes—so distinct yet similar from those of Troy Bolton's—and was momentarily paralyzed. Dan had the ability to paint a story without having to even say a word, but this tale was unreadable. It was dangerously baffling because he'd never kept anything from her before. Sharpay was about to part her lips and ask when he leaned slowly forward. Instinctively, she screwed her eyes shut and held her breath. She wasn't even sure what she was thinking, not that he'd kiss her or anything. It wasn't until she heard a click that she lifted her eyelids to see that Dan was reaching across her to open the glove compartment and retrieve a towel.

A very familiar-looking towel.

Her breath instantly hitched in her throat and she swallowed hard but her whole mouth tasted like sand.

"I found this yesterday."

"That's not mine," Sharpay murmured, her voice cracking.

"I know," he said. "Because it's mine."

"So why are you showing it to me?" she asked, folding her arms protectively across her chest. Defensive is the best offensive.

"I'm just wondering why there's blood all over it." His tone was not accusing. If anything, it was alluring and entrancing, and it didn't seem like he was demanding an answer from her at all, as though it was merely an observation.

Sharpay gnawed on her bottom lip and shrugged. "Beats me."

"Okay," Dan accepted, nodding his head. "But I just want to let you know that I've already called Trista and she told me everything."

The colour drained from her cheeks and she quickly glanced away. Her silence was all he needed to satisfy his rousing curiosity. She wasn't angry and she didn't feel betrayed that one of her best friends had indeed spilled her secrets to her other best friend. Their friendship had way surpassed formalities. Every fault and failure were like open wounds and unhealed injuries that were never left uncovered. They've went through tough times together—the late night beer runs, the trips to the emergency room, the abuses, the self-destructions—they were family. Dan and Trista knew more about her than all of her family members combined—including her own sad excuse for a twin brother, who was barely there for the ride. Ryan couldn't handle drama—ironically—and he shunned away from them as much as possible. He just seemed to care when he felt that it was going to affect him in one way or another.

"Here you go, Shar."

She snapped her head up at the sound of Dan's soothing voice to see him holding a bowl of vegetables out to her, an encouraging smile lazing on his lips, and Sharpay found herself grinning gratefully back in return. He knew exactly when it was safe to pry and when she needed the extra space to think. Dan Patch understood her like nobody else did.

"Caesar salad topped with grilled chicken and Worcestershire sauce, just as I promised," he said.

Sharpay accepted the food, and then bent forward to place a peck on his cheek. "Thanks, sweetie."

"Hey, I think I deserve one on the lips, what with that horrible line I had to go through," he taunted, reaching over the seat for his grilled ham and cheese sandwich. She snorted good-naturedly. "Did I mention that I was queuing up behind this anorexic gothic lunatic who's insistent that the mayonnaise in her sub had animal fat it in and wasn't cholestrol-free?"

Sharpay snickered as she dug her fork into her salad. "Was her lettuce organic enough?"

"Believe it or not, she did ask," he told her, peeling the plastic wrap off his sandwich and taking a huge bite. After chewing and swallowing, he continued. "And she had this huge issue about the cheese, kept demanding to see the manufacturing label, and kept giving me the PBS special on mad cow disease."

"I think she already has it."

Dan took another mouthful of his food, nodding. "She was being such a bitch about it I was damn sure the girl at the counter gave extra spit in her decaf soya latte."

"What a pretentious ho. It's not like she's going to _eat_ any of it."

"My thoughts exactly. Why bother, right? She might as well just consume half a grain of rice—"

"Can you just hear her harassing the cashier in the supermarket?"

"I was so ready to stick a pole up her non-existent ass—"

"I don' think your pole can fit," she said.

He chuckled, appreciating the humour. "You're funny, Evans. You get macarons," he told her, retrieving a small pink box from the back seat.

Sharpay clapped her hands animatedly, half-squealing in child-like excitement. Setting her half-finished salad on the dashboard, she snatched the package from him and practically pounced on it. She pulled one out and took a languorous bite, closing her eyes to savour the saccharine delicacy. Dan regarded her with an entertained grin, glad that she was wholly enjoying the dessert—until she wordlessly shoved the other half of the macaron into his mouth.

He made a muffled protest and Sharpay giggled as she licked her fingers clean.

Her phone began to ring, a reminder that her lunch hour was nearly up. She sighed in resignation and hated how fast time had flown by. Being with Dan brought her into a safe bubble where inhibitions broke free. Just the two of them against the world, and for that moment she felt like she could conquer anything. She never wanted it to end.

**I know that we're moving too fast  
****But I can't let go and it may not last but  
****I'm going deeper, deeper head over heels  
****I go deeper, deeper  
****And I hope it's for real this time**

"You got to go?" he guessed.

She nodded mutely.

"Lighten up, Shar, school can't be _that_ bad."

"It's not that," she murmured.

"Then what is it?" he wanted to know, concern etched out across his handsome face.

"Dan, can you do me a favour?"

"Anything," he replied without hesitation.

"Hold me, please?" she softly requested, which he immediately complied, encasing her petite frame in his muscular arms. Sharpay reveled at the proximity that only Dan's brotherly way could provide, and she snuggled in deeper, inhaling his familiar musky scent.

He was her salvation.

"Dan?" she quietly began, speaking to his neck.

"Hmm?"

"My doctor called."

He gently kissed her temporal hairline. "What did she say?"

"I don't have much time."

* * *

**A/N:** Gasp! What? Don't have much time for what? Alright, so I've left you guys with a cliffhanger—again! Yum, I actually quite like it! So, this chapter isn't as long as the previous chapter, but there are some important issues in this one. As you can see, Chad's no longer Troy's friend, but no worries. I also feel that I've left the other characters, which is why I've included them in this update. Yay! In addition to that, I apologise for the lack in the Troypay-ness, but I promise you I'll make up for it in the next chapter :D

Also, should you guys have any suggestions for me, please just let me know.

**Neila_cross:** Hi! Thank you so much for constantly reading and reviewing my story! You're awesome! Also, thank you for your comments on the scene between Troy and his father. I'm glad you appreciated it! Troy is starting to realize what his true feelings for her are and just how much she means to him. He's putting so much on the line now, there's no way of backing down. He definitely can't turn away from her now after what he's told Chad, right? And Sharpay…she just needs time…but it seems like she's not able to have it…

**Xcreamchip:** Thank you so so much for your wonderful comments! You make me incredibly happy just by reviewing! I'm so glad you enjoyed the last chapter, considering how freaking long I took to update that. And yes, just for you, I've whipped up this chapter as fast as I can. No worries, you didn't pressure me or anything. "I make my own decisions"…LOL! Okay, so I know you're a HUGE fan of the Troy/Sharpay scenes and there's just a tiny one in here, but I figured there's not much they could've done in school, right? Well, in this chapter, you at least know a bit of what Sharpay's problem is, although it's not the full one, but that's for another chapter to tell. –Wink- Let me know what you think of this chapter, yeah?

**Nikita jain:** LOL! You're so very welcome! And thank you too for leaving an awesome review! I think deep down I'm a true romantic. I appreciate grand gestures and The Notebook-esque kind of love. It's true how sometimes when people ask you why you love somebody and you can't tell them why because there are no words to describe it! Love is a journey you have to live, and so I'd like for people to understand the journey. So in a way, you've actually summarized my entire story! Yay! Hope you like this chapter! :D

**Zuni-yesi:** Hi, there. Firstly, thank you for reading my story and reviewing. Secondly, I've realized that you've reviewed in chapter 16 which, to answer your question, if you've read on you would realize that he in fact _probably_ DID sleep with her, and is _probably_ lying to her about it because he wanted to be close to her. So if you've indeed not read on, then you probably didn't get it.

Song used – "Deeper" by The Saturdays


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: **Hi guys! It's me again, and this chapter's been quite tough for me to write, in every aspect possible. I know you guys always wonder why it's taking me so damn long to update, but I really do want to make every chapter as perfect as possible (because Troypay deserves nothing less). On top of that, I have a full-time job that requires a lot of my time, but I will always be writing at any opportunity I have. Anyway, I should stop with the rambling. On with the chapter! Enjoy!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 25**

"You have to tell him, Shar," Dan told her earnestly from the other end of the receiver, the bustling background noise indicating that he was probably downtown running some errands.

Sharpay sighed, admittedly knowing that he was right—as always. Her pearl-white stilettos clicked on the linoleum floor in sync with each step she took as she walked down the empty hallway after school. Shifting the neatly bound proposal in her arm, she switched her cellphone to the other ear and replied, "I'll tell him when the time is right, okay? Now hang up the phone, jerk, I've got some business to attend to that doesn't require entertaining you."

"You're so bossy," she heard him huff.

"And you're like a pest that wouldn't stop bugging me," she retorted, rounding at a corner. "I swear, Dan Patch, if you call me again in the next ten minutes, I'm going to file a restraining order against you."

"Yes, 'cause I'm sure that worked _brilliantly_ with Troy—"

_Jerk._

Sharpay rolled her hazel eyes, unable to comprehend his semi guy code. It was like learning a whole new language. She loved the guy to death, but sometimes she felt like she needed a guidebook to understand him. More often rather than not, Dan was a perfect confidant. He could read her like one of his comic books, and he usually knew right away what was on her mind even before she would verbalize it. However, there were rare moments where his wiring just fell a little short and their frequency would get lost in the conversation.

"Fuck off, Dan, and stop hogging my line every five seconds."

He let out a low mocking whistle. "Peachy."

"Not peachy, just annoyed," she said. "Your incessant babbling is wearing off my last nerve."

There was a beat of a pause. "Bitter."

"Just for you," she told him sweetly with underlying sarcasm. "Now, beat it!"

"Alright, fine," he relented, not even bothering to hide the laughter in his voice. "Jesus, Shar, if I'd known you'd turn into such a prissy monster, I wouldn't have returned you to school."

"Ha, ha," she drawled dryly.

"But you'll tell him, won't you?"

Sharpay arrived at the foot of her destination, one hand poised on the cool metal door handle. Through the glass plane, she could see the bored receptionist eyeing her wearily, and in return flashed the lady a triumphant, mega-watt award-winning smile. For full effect, she wriggled her fingers pompously and pretentiously.

"I'll tell him," Sharpay promised over the phone, exaggeratingly enunciating each syllable.

"Okay then, I'll talk to you soon. Love you."

Her face softened as his warmly uttered words liquefied her heart. "Love you too," she said and then hung up the phone, tucking the device into the front pocket of her snow-white star-studded denim jeans. Pushing the door open, she entered the premise and leaned against the counter. "I'd like to see Mrs. Darbus, please," she politely requested, unleashing her full power as an actress with a bat of an eyelash.

"First door to—"

Sharpay didn't even bother waiting for her to finish. "Thank you," she cut in, totally ignoring the older woman's disapproving look as she made her way over to her drama teacher's room. She grinned at the overly-decorated lilac door, identifying herself in some of the photos, and gave it several knocks.

"Come in."

"Hi, Mrs. Darbus!" Sharpay enthusiastically greeted her acting coach the instant she stepped into the comfort of her office.

Mrs. Darbus's face immediately lit up when she saw her. "Why, hello, Sharpay," she grinned, flipping her laptop shut and motioning for her to come closer. "To what do I owe this honour?"

Sharpay eagerly handed over the bound document. "This is the new proposal for our play, complete with background information on Zashley Orphanage, as well as statistics and a new budget breakdown. The photocopied legal documents and financial tabs are also inside, should the board need such information," she explained while the teacher skimmed through the pages. "I've also added in testimonials from the children in the orphanage and potential sponsors that might help out with the production in terms of costumes and props. Carmen Zashley's dad is in the carpentry business, and he's willing to lend a few of his men in whatever way we need."

"This is very impressive, Sharpay," Mrs. Darbus beamed. "You've done quite a thorough job on this proposal, and I'm sure a lot of work had been put into this."

"Well, Troy Bolton offered to help," she revealed.

Mrs. Darbus raised her eyebrows, pleasantly surprised. "Did he, now?"

Sharpay shrugged. "He's actually quite resourceful—for a lunkhead basketball captain."

The bespectacled lady chuckled as she continued reading the proposal. "I must say, Sharpay, I doubt the board could deny you after this. I'm very confident we'll get an approval."

"I've emailed you a copy as well, should you need to change certain things," Sharpay informed.

"I think you have it all covered, Sharpay," Mrs. Darbus said, propping her elbows on the table and weaving her fingers together to rest her chin atop it. "I'm truly amazed."

"There's just one thing, though."

"Oh? What is it?"

Sharpay took a seat in the chair directly in front of her teacher and took a deep breath. "We need to push the production forward—two weeks earlier to be precise."

Mrs. Darbus pushed her glasses higher up the bridge of her nose. "Two weeks?"

"I've done up a new timeline, and I've given ample buffer time for the board to get back to us on this. In the meantime, we'll run auditions first and get the cast up and running, to learn their lines and their songs," Sharpay told her calmly. She leaned over and flipped through the document to find the correct page. There was a fully-coloured chart across the spread, neatly done up in extreme detail. "We'll be able to produce this play if we stick closely to this timeline."

Mrs. Darbus took a moment to study the chart. She slowly nodded, "this could work, Shar, but might I ask what the urgency is? I mean, do we really need to rush this?"

Sharpay paused for a moment, contemplating her words. There was only one simple truth to that answer, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. She knew that the luxury of time wasn't in her favour, and if this was going to be the last thing she did, she was to finish it. However, she wasn't going to let her selfish—or rather selfless—reasons uphold such a responsibility. This was for Lily and Josh, and for all the children in the orphanage—not her.

"Mrs. Darbus, the orphanage is running out of time. They have rent that are long overdue, and if they don't pay up soon, they might have to close down," Sharpay's voice wavered slightly, choked with emotion. The more she thought about the children, Josh and Lily, and their fates if this didn't work, the more determined she got to ensure that nothing unfortunate would happen to the place those kids call home. "I just—I can't let that happen—not on my watch."

"Sharpay," Mrs. Darbus sighed, sliding her glasses down to let it dangle around her neck. "This is going to work, alright?" she assured, reaching forward to affectionately squeeze her student's hand. "I'll get this to the board, and I promise you that without a doubt they'll approve of this in a second. The school could use some wonderful publicity, and this production is a perfect way to get it."

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Darbus," Sharpay gushed gratefully, jumping to her feet and startling her teacher with a heart-felt hug.

"No, thank _you_, my dear," Mrs. Darbus returned, gently patting the teenager's back. "We'll move the auditions to this Tuesday. Please let Kelsi know."

"Of course," Sharpay agreed, excitement quickly taking over. She loved the rush of a production, and nothing says business like show business. "I'll spread the word around."

"Alright, Shar. I'll let you know about the verdict as soon as possible," she vowed.

After expressing another round of gratitude to Mrs. Darbus, Sharpay headed out of the room, so completely ecstatic that she even waved a friendly goodbye to the catatonic receptionist as she exited the office. Whipping out her cellphone, she began dialing Kelsi's number, who answered on the second ring.

"Hello, Sharpay?" she timidly began.

"Kelsi!" the blonde actress snapped, resuming her commanding demeanor. "I need posters and flyers by tomorrow morning. Auditions are moved to Tuesday, and the play's pushed forward. I'll email you the new timeline right now."

"But—"

"Whatever plans you may have with my shit-ass brother tonight, tell him to suck it up or I'll fucking kick his balls," she added saucily, sauntering down the corridor.

"Alright," Kelsi mumbled.

"Toodles!" Sharpay concluded the call, and then promptly sent Kelsi the relevant information.

There was an extra bounce in her stride as she headed out of the building, fingers skating through the keypad at top speed while she composed an update for the play on the school's blog. She passed by empty classrooms when al of a sudden something in her peripheral vision caught her interest, halting her in her tracks. Comically, she retraced her footsteps—trying to be as silent as she possibly could in her high heels—till she came to an opened door. Hiding behind a pillar, she peeked into the classroom. The first person she saw was Ms. Dulaine, sitting behind a desk, occupied with her work. Sharpay shifted her position and her almond eyes rested upon a sole figure in the center of the room, shaggy brunette hair falling over bright sapphire eyes as he hunched over the desk reading a textbook.

As though sensing her presence, he glanced up and met her gaze. Sharpay teased him with a smirk, and he in turn gave her a small, sheepish wave, embarrassed to be caught serving detention.

"One more hour," she mouthed out to him, holding one index finger up.

Troy took a glimpse at the circular clock on the wall and shrugged helplessly. Giggling softly, she playfully blew him a kiss, accidentally laughing out loud when she saw him blush a deep crimson. It attracted Ms. Dulaine's attention, and Sharpay swiftly dodged out of view just as the teacher swung her head towards her direction, clasping a hand over her mouth, stifling the rest of her laughter. She figured she ought to leave before she got Troy into any more trouble, but in the midst of deciding, she remembered the good news she had that he definitely deserved to know about.

Bending over, Sharpay quickly removed the shoes on her feet and tiptoed across to the other side of the hallway where she sat down on the cold floor and patiently waited.

* * *

"Troy!"

He heard her squeal his name the second he set foot outside the classroom, but before he could register anything, she had launched herself at him and tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, showering him with a blur of golden blonde hair and glee. Troy reciprocated with parallel gusto, relishing in the delicious feel of her warm petite body pushing against his, and inhaling the sweet scent of all that is Sharpay Evans. It was heavenly, and he didn't want to let her go. He buried his face into her neck, softly nuzzling her soft skin.

"Hey, Shar," he murmured in her ear. "Not that I'm complaining, but what's going on?"

She released her grasp on him and stepped back, and Troy almost groaned at the lost in contact, mentally kicking himself in the butt for asking. He instantly regretted it and yearned to just pull her back into his arms.

"I presented the proposal to Mrs. Darbus and she loved it!" she burbled animatedly. "She said that there was no doubt the board would approve!"

"Congratulations, Shar," he said, extending his arms and enveloping her in another fervent embrace. "That's great news!"

"I know!" she replied, looking relieved and anxious all at once, her radiant smile illuminating her already gorgeous face.

Troy chortled and cradled her cheeks between his palms. "All of your hard work paid off, huh?"

"_Our_ hard work," she corrected, staring up at him, the giddy glow coating her skin a healthy sheen.

The way she looked at him took his breath away, and for that few heartbeats he had forgotten how to speak. She was ethereal and he couldn't tear his eyes away from her no matter how hard he tried. He was unaware that his hands were still cocooning her face although he could feel the intensified electricity crackling in his nerves. Sharpay must've felt it too because she withdrew herself, as though stung—or burnt—as soon as she realized the danger in their proximity.

"Sorry," he muttered, dropping his hands to his sides.

"No, it's okay."

Troy blinked, unsure if he'd heard her right.

_Did she just say 'it's okay'?_

He cleared his throat, awkwardly rubbing the nape of his neck. "So, what else did Mrs. Darbus say?"

"Oh, auditions are moved to Tuesday," she notified him.

"Alright," he said, lightheartedly nudging her side. "But I'm ready for it, aren't I?"

Sharpay smirked up at him. "You'll manage."

"Wow, so much for the vote of confidence, Shar."

She snickered, lowering herself to snatch her footwear from the floor. Troy's eyebrows sprung up at the unlady-like manner in which she was trying to put her stilettos on, grabbing onto his bicep when she almost lost her balance. He watched as she hooked the buckles, his mouth tasting like sand when he noticed that her head was merely inches from a rather sensitive region of his body. Troy had to channel all of his thoughts on terrifying movie scenes to settle the tent that was starting to pitch in his pants.

"Hey, Troy, do you want to go grab dinner?" she suddenly suggested, straightening herself to face him again.

"What?" he managed to croak out.

"I know it's still kind of early, but there's this amazing Italian restaurant down town and, well, I want to properly thank you for helping me with the proposal, so I reckon I'd treat you to a nice meal," she said.

He tilted his head to give her a boyishly lopsided smile. "That's not necessary, really, you don't have to do anything to repay me."

"Well, I figured you've put up a lot with me, the least I can do it buy you dinner."

"But that feels so formal," he protested weakly, mindful that he was fighting a losing battle. When Sharpay wanted something, she usually got it, damn the consequences. "We're way past that, right?"

Sharpay arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and planted a hand on her hip, shifting her weight on one leg. "Let me put it this way, then. I _want_ to buy you dinner."

"But—"

"And I'll hogtie you if need be, so I suggested you just accept this graciously and we'll be able to proceed on." Her tone was almost teasing, but the threat was quite eminent. Troy actually believed that she would follow through to her words. An image appeared in his head and he inwardly winced. It wasn't a pretty picture at all.

"Alright, alright," he agreed, raising his hands up in surrender. "We'll go."

Sharpay flashed him a satisfied grin. "Great, then, I'm glad we understand each other."

* * *

"Your car or mine?" Troy asked as they walked across the parking lot.

She wrinkled her nose in mock distaste. "I think we'll get better valet parking if we weren't driving your piece of scrap."

"Hey!" he exclaimed, looking offended. "It was either the red Saab or the white van, and I didn't want to look like a hippie."

Sharpay unlocked the doors of her sleek black convertible and got in, Troy following suit. She stuck key in the ignition and started the engine. "I can just imagine what that would do to your macho reputation in school," she snickered.

"I'll look like I came out of a Scooby Doo cartoon," he grumbled, securing his seat belt.

"You and your miniature posse solving mysteries," she said as she drove out of the school compound. "Chad could very well be Shaggy, or should he rather be Scooby?"

"The _trusted_ sidekick and all?"

Sharpay detected the venom in his words, and knew that Troy was far from forgiving his friend, but she didn't want to fan the flames that were already burning in his person, so she did the best thing possible: to ignore and pretend she didn't hear him. "Taylor could be Velma, and your ex-girlfriend could play Daphne."

"That's you."

"Excuse me?"

"You're Daphne," he said. At her deadpanned quizzical look, he clarified, "I didn't mean that you're always the damsel in distress, but if Chad's Shaggy or Scooby, that would make me Fred, right?"

She slowly nodded, unsure where this was heading. "Right."

"And Fred gets Daphne."

Sharpay felt herself blush all the way to the tips of her ears and kept her eyes glued to the road, unable to build a decent response. She wondered if she would ever be immune to his charming ways, for it was rendering her rather deficient, and she hated feeling stupid.

"By the way, Shar, how'd you escape detention?" he asked, curiously interested.

She had to bite on her lower lip to stop the smug grin that was spreading on her luscious lips. "I'm Sharpay Evans," she carelessly offered.

"You bribed the headmaster?" he guessed, his cerulean blue eyes growing wide in disbelief.

"Don't be ridiculous," she uttered. "Everybody knows that he doesn't give a shit about money. His monthly income's enough to burst his bank account."

Troy tilted his head. "How'd you know that?"

Sharpay shrugged her dainty shoulders. "He plays golf with my dad, and his wife is a compulsive gossip queen."

"Sure, but that doesn't explain how you managed to dodge detention."

"I gave him a sob story," she explained nonchalantly. "Told him how difficult it's been with my parents being away so much. If there's one thing he can't take, it's teenage girls crying. It's like an amazing guilt trip."

"Seriously?"

"Why do you think he doesn't have children?"

"And it worked?"

"I got out of detention, didn't I?" she gave him an elvish wink.

"Wow, I'm impressed."

"Well, thank you."

"Do you think it'll work on me?"

Sharpay eyed him incredulously. "Maybe if you put on a skirt and apply some lip gloss, perhaps. I don't think your masculine ways appeal to him so much."

"You think I'm masculine?"

"I think you're barely finished with puberty," she shot back kiddishly.

Troy faked a wound to his chest. "Ouch!"

She was really enjoying this—their playful banter—and the comfort that it brought. It gave her a glimmer or hope, like maybe normalcy and monogamy could be possible with him. Sharpay really needed that right now, that simplicity of being with someone—the emotional and physical ease—that little piece of heaven.

Dan's words were a continuous whisper in her ears, calling out to her.

_A chance, that's all he needs._

"Where are you dragging me to, anyway?"

His voice broke into her thoughts. She was fortunate enough to capture the last bits, before he could think that she was in fact spacing out.

"Now, now, dragging would mean that I forced you against your will," she said. "You came on your own free will."

"You threatened to hogtie me," he flatly pointed out.

Sharpay laughed. "Touché."

"So, where are we going?"

"There's an Italian place downtown called Valentino's Cucina Italiana. Nothing too fancy, I'm sure you can handle it," she assured him in a patronizing tone.

"I'll have you know that I can be sophisticated if I want to."

"Sure you can. A handful of hair gel, close one eye, close another eye, and you'll look like Antonio Banderas."

Troy narrowed his eyes at her. "You just punctured the last fragment of ego I had left."

The fit of giggles that burst out of her was spontaneous, and it astounded her how natural it sounded, like it didn't take much to coax out. Somehow, it frightened her. Experiencing any form of joy meant that it could be taken away from her, and she couldn't afford that cruelty.

Perhaps she could prevent it.

_A chance, that's all he needs._

Before long, a grand—rather intimidating-looking—high-rise building came into view and Sharpay pulled over by the curb. Two men, neatly dressed in a grey suit and white gloves, stood on the pavement, and she instantly recognized one of them as she got out of her car.

"Hey, Keith!" she addressed as she rounded the vehicle.

The guy nodded in acknowledgement, needing to maintain a professional facade. "Hey, Shar," he said politely, and when Troy stepped out of the convertible, Keith formally shook his hand. "Troy."

"Hi, Keith," he returned in slight daze.

Sharpay tossed her set of keys towards her friend, who caught it perfectly. "You know what to do."

"I'm taking this baby for a spin," Keith grinned devilishly.

"Don't even," Sharpay warned.

"She knows I'm kidding," Keith told Troy. "Don't want to get into trouble with her old man again."

She rolled her hazel eyes impatiently and reached out to take Troy's arm. "Bye, Keith!" she called out with a backwards glance, waving her hand as she strolled down a red carpet leading towards the entrance.

"You said it wasn't going to be anything fancy," he whispered, still in awe at the sheer vastness of the place, clearly meant solely for the higher-class socialites.

"It isn't."

"But we're at a hotel. No, not just a hotel, but we're at Tisdale's Square—"

"Sharpay Evans," she cut into his ramble to introduce herself to the hostess behind the podium.

The girl, probably a year or two older than they were, snapped her head up in attention, tight blonde curls bobbing, and Sharpay noted that her name was Marti. "Oh, Miss Evans!" she gushed, practically tripping over her words. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting. Table for two?"

Sharpay blanked out the confused look that Troy was sending her way, suddenly second guessing her decision to bring him there. "Yes."

"Right this way, please," Marti blurted out, hurriedly escorting them to an empty table in a private VIP booth, which probably didn't help soothe Troy's mounting curiosity.

Sharpay slid into the plush cushioned chair—throne, really—and watched as Troy nervously took the seat in front of her. She spared him an apologetic smile when Marti placed the menu on the table and saw his overwhelmed expression.

"Would you like something to drink before you place your order, Miss Evans?"

"Just a glass of water would do," Sharpay answered and glanced over at Troy. When he didn't say anything she gave him a kick to his shin.

"Yeah, yeah, water for me too," he said, flustered.

Marti scampered off, and in delaying the inevitable, Sharpay sunk her nose into reading the menu and avoided Troy's intense gaze as best as she could, but her efforts were in vain. She could feel his eyes penetrating into her skin, telepathically urging her to look up. Eventually she did, sighing in defeat.

"My dad co-owns this hotel," she reluctantly admitted.

Troy blinked. "You said your dad was a businessman."

"He deals with real estate," she clarified. "This hotel is a joint investment with his childhood friend."

"So you dine here for free?"

"More or less."

The corner of his lips perked up. "That's cool. Do you come here often?"

Sharpay shook her head. "Not really. There are too many pretentious guests, and over-eager waiters and waitresses trying way too hard to impress. It gets quite unbearable sometimes."

"Being treated like royalty is unbearable?" he teased.

"It's being fussed over that I can't stand, actually," she muttered, leaning forward so that only he could hear her. "Seriously, if they think I'm going to put a good word in just so they'd get promoted, that's really sad. Chances are I wouldn't remember any of them by the time I leave."

"You're such a heartbreaker."

She clicked her tongue and held the menu back up just as a dapper-looking waiter came over to take their order.

"Good afternoon, my name's Nate and I'll be your server," he acquainted. "What can I get you today?"

"Great," Sharpay said, taking a final browse before deciding. "I'll have the Linguini Cala Di Volpe, less of the garlic, please."

"Certainly," Nate bowed slightly in acknowledgement. "And what about you, sir?"

Sharpay glanced at him from across the table and had to suppress the urge to laugh out loud. Troy's forehead was creased as he studied the menu in full concentration. She cleared her throat and figured she should fish him out of the pond. The poor guy seemed like he was on the verge of a stress meltdown.

"Troy?" she prompted.

He shot her a helpless look. "I don't—"

"He'll have the Filleto Di Manzo," she told the waiter.

"What did you just order for me?" Troy asked nervously the instant Nate was out of earshot. He pored over the menu once again in search of the dish.

"Relax," she told him. "It's just filet mignon."

He was still skeptical. "You sure you didn't just poison me with horse liver or something?"

Disgusted, Sharpay retorted, "ew! Maybe I should have."

Troy burst out laughing. "Have you even tried horse liver?"

"Just the sound of it nauseates me," she frowned.

"Come on, I mean, I'm sure you've traveled around the world, Shar. Surely you've encountered some weird food before."

Sharpay thought about it. "Snails, I suppose."

"How's that any worse than horse liver?" he wondered.

"It happens to be a delicacy in France."

"So I've heard. Does it taste anything like horse liver?"

"What's with you and horse liver?" she wanted to know. "Troy Bolton, stop it, okay? Be grateful I didn't feed you braised artichokes."

"Fine," he submitted, though the naughty glint was still in his ocean-deep eyes. It settled down after a few seconds and his face held an almost-dreamy persona. "I still can't believe that I'm here," he confessed.

Sharpay cocked her head to one side. "Why?"

Troy gazed up at the sparkling chandelier overhead and squint his eyes. "It feels surreal. I've driven past this building but I've never thought I'd ever set foot in here. It's better than I envisioned it would be."

"Yeah?"

He chuckled. "It actually feels like you're taking me out on a date. If I didn't know better, I would think that you hauling me here is a way of asking me out."

"You wish, Bolton!"

"I'll take that as a yes."

Sharpay stuck her tongue out childishly.

"But thank you," he said pleasantly. "You really don't need to do this, you know."

She lifted her shoulder in another shrug. "Well, when else would you be able to come here and dine for free, anyway?"

Their food arrived at the table and Sharpay bit back her laughter when she saw his astonished reaction to the amount—or lack thereof—on his plate. Everything was dainty, and she was sure that being Troy Bolton and playing basketball so much, the serving definitely wasn't enough for him.

"Is that going to fill you up?"

The instantaneous grin that stretched across his face felt like plastic, even to her. "Yes!"

"That's bullshit, and you know it. Just admit it, Troy."

Troy sent her a weak smile. "Fine, I could scarf ten of these and I'd still be hungry."

"Such a glutton," she huffed.

"Wouldn't want to hinder my growth, now, do I?"

"We can go get dessert somewhere else after this if you want," she offered generously. "I know a great ice cream place down the street."

"Deal."

* * *

"Okay, I am officially drunk!"

"On ice cream?"

Sharpay narrowed her chocolate eyes at him and jabbed her dessert spoon into his bicep. "Don't mock me and my ice cream," she said solemnly, holding her frown for barely a second before they both simultaneously doubled over, cackling and howling in a tiny booth in Pastel Palette after Troy had polished off his dinner in five minutes flat.

"You can't _seriously_ get drunk on ice cream," he told her, although he was slightly slurring on the words himself.

"No, I really think I am this time," she insisted, digging her spoon into her solo pint of Rocky Road. "Either that, or I ate too much, my brain froze."

Troy snickered, taking a mouthful of his own Half-Baked Caramel Cookiedough ice cream. "Why is it that we always end up bonding over ice cream?" he randomly wondered.

Sharpay paused, reminiscing for a while, and then shrugged. "Endorphin rush, I guess."

"Big word for a blonde girl."

She pouted. "You're a big bully, Troy Bolton."

"What's with the 'B' words?" he pointed out, looking genuinely confused. It was adorable, really, him with that dazed expression on his handsome face. "Are we playing a game?"

Sharpay was rolling in the aisles, clutching onto her aching abdomen as she practically fell off the seat laughing. She took another glance at his still befuddled character and came to think that perhaps they _were_ drunk. Sprouting nonsensical rubbish wouldn't have been so entertaining if they weren't at least a bit tipsy. The best word to describe their situation would be 'high', and Sharpay didn't know when was the last time she'd felt that way—like the troubles of the world was slowly fading into nothingness.

"Is there rum in this thing?" she asked, peering at the label on the tub. "Huh, there's zero point two percent rum in my ice cream."

"That explains a lot," Troy said, nodding like it's the most logical thing in the world. At the moment—with the less-than-sober state they were in—it probably did seem like it. "Did I tell you I dared Chad to put ice cream in his dad's car once?"

Sharpay squealed in delight at the newly-attained knowledge. "Tell me, tell me!"

"We were in third grade and it was Christmas Eve," he began, stopping briefly to take another bite of his ice cream. "It was freezing outside but we so badly wanted to play. There was too much snow, so we figured we'd take the snowmobile out. It wasn't there but we found his dad's car in the garage. A classic Buick LeSabre. The key was in the ignition and all. We decided it wouldn't hurt to give it a try, you know, have a little fun with the car. We got in and started it up but the gas was empty. So I told him to go get ice cream."

"Oh, my God, Troy, you're terrible!" she shrieked.

"Shh…"

Sharpay slapped her hand over her mouth, stifling her giggles, and quickly glanced around the room. Troy did the same and chuckled. Thankfully there weren't that many people and nobody was paying any attention to the two high school students. "Sorry," she apologized.

"I always got Chad into trouble when we were younger but I'd usually get away with it," he confessed, not the least bit ashamed of his juvenile behavior. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying it. "His dad was so mad at him too! That car was his baby."

"You were a really naughty little boy, weren't you?"

She hadn't intended for it to sound so sexual, but she couldn't take it back now. Troy had immediately caught onto her tone, and Sharpay didn't miss how his light azure eyes glazed over for a split second. It had to be the rum. Darn alcohol was messing with their body systems. She cleared her throat in hopes of breaking the electrified tension in the air, and he shoved a big spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

"I told Chad he'd turn into Superman is he peed into the sandpit."

Sharpay nearly choked on her own spit at the abrupt laughter that left her lips. "Did he?"

"Let's just say that none of the kids ever wanted to play with him again," he told her with a smug grin. "Or that sandpit."

"You're so mean!"

He shrugged. "I was a kid. What do I know?"

"Probably a lot more than most people think."

The almost lovers exchanged knowing smiles before cracking up once again. Sharpay didn't know when it was the last time she'd laughed—actually laughed and not those forced ones that she usually used in school—and had a whirlwind time being with Troy Bolton. It was quite a paradigm shift. She was so used to the drama that surrounded and kept overshadowing their so-called friendship, it felt totally different letting her guard down. Without all the tension conspiring between them, they were real friends. The epiphany of her realization churned out a new emotion: hope.

Another thing she desperately needed.

Unknowingly, Troy Bolton had instilled belief in this twisted relationship of theirs. He had made her experience a sense of abundance—a realm of escape—full of promises. He'd done so much for her without question or complaint, and he hadn't asked for anything in return. He was content just by being in her life, and she could see how much that meant to him.

Maybe she _was_ drunk.

Or it was the way he looked at her.

But she decided that she was going to give him a chance.

"Hey, do you want to get out of here?"

Troy perked up at the idea, having just drained down the last of his dessert. "Sure! Where to?"

"To the stars," she whispered, quoting a famous line as she wagged her eyebrows suggestively at him.

His lips quirked up in recognition to her words. He stood up and held a hand out for her to take. Sharpay giggled and accepted his gentlemanly gesture, giving him a little curtsy before joyfully skipping out of the door. Her black convertible was parked along the pavement. She hopped into the driver's seat with stunning agility. Troy let out a low whistle, having witnessed her mount and was thoroughly impressed. Sharpay smirked, that trademark way only she could do, and cocked her head up, silently daring him. Troy wasted no time contemplating. He was after all the captain of the school's basketball team, and he wouldn't tolerate it if she thought he was incompetent in any way. A guy still needs his ego. He stealthily jumped into his allocated seat with perfected accuracy, as though he'd practiced it a thousand times before.

He flashed her one of his irresistibly boyish grins, eyes twinkling victoriously, and Sharpay felt a re-activation of butterflies in her stomach. It was foreign yet familiar. A whiff f hair had fallen over his forehead, shielding her from the power of his cerulean blue orbs, and she craved to push it away.

"Not bad," she commented. "For a basketball player."

"Shut up."

Sharpay sniggered, putting the car into gear and pulling out of the parallel lot. She knew where she would like to go—a place she rarely shared with anybody, but figured it was time to share with him. An unchartered part of her belonged there—one so intimate she had only revealed it to one person.

Now, Troy Bolton was going to be granted the same privilege.

She entered the highway and coasted along, not in any much hurry to get there. Truth be told, she was nervous. It was almost tragic. Sharpay didn't know where the conflicting thoughts came from but it was wrecking havoc in her mind. She was thankful that the radio was off. It made thinking that much easier. Resting an elbow on the ledge of the door, she stole a quick glimpse at the guy sitting next to her, only an arm's length away. Even with the distance between them, Sharpay could feel the heat in their proximity. The ease of his presence helped a bit in her situation, but even as she took in his relaxed posture, she could tell that he probably was anything but.

For one thing, he hadn't spoken a word.

But it was alright.

Driving in silence allowed her the space to think and comprehend her decision. Was there even the slimmest chance of doubt? If there was, she failed to locate it. After the social suicide he'd taken for her, there wasn't much room for vacillation. It was do or die—however taboo it sounded—and Sharpay was determined to cherish this chance, for she would only allow this once.

It was all she could afford.

One chance.

And then they were back where they were the day before. However, blanketed in black, all but the starry night sky, nothing looked distinguishable. The faint glow of the streetlamps gave little clue to their whereabouts, and as they sat there—car parked on the road shoulder—Sharpay could sense Troy's reservation.

"Is something wrong?" she asked him.

"Where are we?"

She gave him a mysterious grin "Come on," she urged and got out of the convertible.

He cautiously stepped out. "Are you sure this is safe? Wouldn't anybody steal your car?"

"I've done this before, Troy, relax."

Still he wasn't convinced.

"Oh, live a little, Bolton," she cajoled, grabbing onto his wrist. "Nothing bad is going to happen, I promise."

"Fine," he relented, allowing himself to be tugged along.

Sharpay effortlessly navigated them through the rough grounds, much like she did before. For years, she had trekked down this same path, but never before had she traveled it this way, with this one person. She had each curve and bend memorized even in the darkness as he seem to desperately clutch onto her dainty fingers, slightly stumbling along the way.

"We should've brought a flashlight," he mumbled when he almost tripped over a solid rock.

She snorted. "It wouldn't have helped you, trust me."

The moment their feet touched the soft grains of sand, Sharpay released her grip on Troy's hand and jogged between the huge boulders to her favourite spot. He caught up with her a nanosecond later and she watched as a sense of familiarity crossed over the basketball player's face. Pleased with herself, Sharpay pulled her shoes off her feet and sat down on the beach, staring out at the ocean and listening as the waves lapped onto the shore. The light zephyr in the air smelt of salt. She inhaled deeply, loving the warm atmosphere before tilting her head up.

"Don't you want to sit down?"

"You brought me back here to slackline?" His tone was incredulous but he lowered himself down beside her nonetheless.

Sharpay rolled her hazel orbs. "Sure," she replied sarcastically. "Go set the line up and I'll be with you in a minute."

"Shar—"

"Troy?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and enjoy the view."

Troy sheepishly rubbed the nape of his neck. "Right, sure."

They sat in silence, relishing in the serene moment.

"I saw you leave with Dan today."

Sharpay froze, unsure how to go about handling this, though she knew that she had nothing to hide. She was about to open her mouth to speak when he cut in.

"You don't need to explain anything to me if you don't want to."

She presented him with a genuinely sincere smile. Inwardly she was relieved and grateful for she still didn't know what to say. "Thanks."

"But you know you can tell me anything, right?"

Sharpay regarded him with interest, hearing the earnest yet semi-pleading note in his voice. His cobalt blue eyes were crystal clear, and she knew at once that he meant it.

"I will, Troy," she told him truthfully. "One day."

"Just not today."

There was a twinge of sadness that flickered over him—one she couldn't miss even if she tried—and she didn't like knowing that she was responsible for it. "I'm sorry."

"No, no, don't apologise."

Silence followed right after like a giant tsunami, crashing down on them, leaving unspoken words hanging like rocks in outer space—gravitating but never colliding. Sharpay didn't like this kind of silence. It stretched onto never ending roads, and she hated the uncertainty of the distance. This sort of silence only encourages unexplained feelings and unanswered questions. She felt constricted in the sound of vacuum. It was cutting off her breathing space, and she desperately needed to break free—the only way she knew how—amongst the ocean.

**Lying here with you so close to me  
It's hard to fight these feelings  
When it feels so hard to breathe**

Sharpay didn't give it a second thought. Pushing herself up on her feet, she took a few paces towards the shoreline. She was aware that Troy was watching, and so with a cheeky grin towards the horizon she lifted her bright pink tank top over her head.

* * *

Troy made a noise—something between a gasp and a sigh—but the moment her denim pants fell to the sand and pool around her feet, he felt all of the air escape his lungs in a single breath. Blindly, he reached over to the spot in which she'd previously occupied, and when all he could grasp were the straps of her sandals, he knew that he wasn't hallucinating.

Sharpay Evans was presented right in front of him, clad in just her pearly-white lace lingerie. Fuck, even her back was gorgeous! The sensual way her spine curved with every movement, punctuated by the two dimples on her lower back, it was assaulting his mind with vivid and inappropriate images that contrasted immensely with her angelic beauty.

Just when he thought that he couldn't have died any more than he already had, she casually unhooked her brassiere dropped it by her jeans. Troy let out an audible groan at the sheer torture he was going through, his rousing manhood throbbing with lust. He could hear the pounding of his heart in his ears.

And then she slipped the last fragment of clothing she had left down her smooth legs, and he was sure that he passed out this time.

"Troy!"

He blinked, slowly, as if to wake himself up, inhaling deeply to stabilize his pulse, afraid that he might burst a vein if his heart were to pump any faster than it already was.

"Don't be a wuss! Come on in!"

Troy shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how he felt about exposing himself to her like that, and then recalled that she had indeed seen all of him. She just didn't know it; or rather she had been a little too drunk to remember anything. However, there was a bulge in his pants that he was embarrassed of. He didn't want to let her know what she was extremely turning him on. Chances are she'd get disgusted and call him a perverted pig.

"Troy!" She was growing impatient now, and he reluctantly glanced up at her.

He was sorely disappointed when all he could see was her pretty little head bobbing on the surface of the water, wet blonde locks curtaining her face, the inked blackness masking the rest of her ethereal form. She was looking expectantly at him with those irresistible wide-set hazel eyes.

**Caught up in this moment  
Caught up in your smile**

"What?"

"Get in here!" she hissed.

"I don't think—"

"It's just me, Troy."

There it was. The way she looked at him.

And he couldn't deny her anything.

_Fuck it_, he thought, getting to his feet and stripping off his clothes. When he got to his boxers, he paused and bit his lower lip. _Fuck it, Troy, just fuck it._

He took a quick glimpse out at the sea in time to catch her diving into the water and giving him a splendid view of her bare rear. Whatever work he had done to restrain his gorging member from standing flew right back into the wind.

_Damnit!_

Taking advantage of her distraction, Troy quietly slipped into the water with his boxers on, pleasantly surprised that it was rather warm. He plunged his head to wet his hair.

"I saw that."

He turned half a round to face her, threading water as they went further out into the calm sea. Sharpay had an eyebrow arched and her characteristic smirk playing on her luscious lips.

_Busted._

"Saw what?" he asked, playing innocent.

"You're a cheater, Troy Bolton," she accused.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Take it off."

"Take _what_ off?" he mimicked.

"Your boxers," she replied, directing him with a warning look. "Take them off."

Troy was at a loss. Defeated, he sighed. "I don't think that's such a good idea, Shar."

She tilted her head questioningly. "Why not?"

"Well, I—see…" he trailed off, completely forgetting what he was meant to say because somehow she had drifted closer to him and he was suddenly conscious of the amount of space between them. Her skin glistened beneath the moonlight, made silvery by the droplets of water that trickled down. Those hypnotic eyes of hers held him spellbound, drawing him in like a moth to a flame. "I—You turn me on, Shar, so much that it scares me, but I don't want to frighten you in any way."

**I never open up to anyone  
So hard to hold back  
When I'm holding you in my arms**

Her hand emerged from the water and Troy sucked in a lungful of air when she ran a finger delicately down his shoulder, tracing the taunt muscles of his bicep and leaving a blazing trail in its wake. "It's okay, Troy," she whispered, her mouth merely an inch away from his. "I trust you."

And then Sharpay did the unthinkable.

She kissed him.

Sweetly. Gently.

**We don't need to rush this  
Let's just take it slow**

There was a _swoosh_ and before he knew it, she had swiftly removed his cotton boxers. Troy, still too preoccupied, didn't even realize he was stark naked in the water until his wet clothing was slapped onto his chest and she pushed him away. The victorious smile she had left him stunned for a nanosecond before he quickly regained his equilibrium and caught her around her waist just as she was about to swim off. Their wet bodies collided, and the skin-on-skin contact ignited a passion they never knew existed.

He gazed into her golden eyes, his heart swelling with joy.

**Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight  
Just a touch of the fire burning so bright  
I don't want to mess this thing up  
I don't want to push too far**

"Say that again," he murmured, wanting to hear it one more time.

"I trust you."

The weight of those words created an impact like no other.

"Do you mean that?"

Sharpay affectionately cupped his cheeks. "I do."

**Just a shot in the dark that you just might  
Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life  
So baby I'm alright with just a kiss goodnight**

Troy couldn't believe it. He'd been aching for this instant for so long, but now that it was coming true, something felt strangely wrong, like he didn't deserve it.

Guilt.

That horrible sense of dread seemed to slam into his being for he knew he hadn't exactly fulfilled his half of the deal. He hadn't exactly been entirely truthful to her, and it pained him that he had to do it now. She wanted to start something new with him—something so sacred and pure—that he couldn't afford to taint it with a single fleck of contamination. He couldn't—he wouldn't—do that to her.

"Sharpay, you have no idea how much that means to me…"

She sensed his hesitation and her brows furrowed. "But…?"

"There's something important I need to tell you."

Pulling away from his grasp, she asked, "what is it?"

He hated every second of this, regretting ever mentioning it to begin with, but it was an important piece of their puzzle. This very confession could either make or break them. It was the right thing to do. However, he needed her reassurance that she was going to believe him—regardless of the truth—and as he drowned himself in the depths of her honey-coloured eyes, he knew he couldn't lie to her anymore.

**I know that if we give this a little time  
It'll only bring us closer to the love we wanna find  
It's never felt so real  
No it's never felt so right**

Troy moved aside the damp strands of blonde hair that had fallen over her forehead and tucked them behind her ear. "You trust me, right?"

A new emotion transpired across her flawless features: anxiety.

"What is it, Troy?" she repeated, stronger this time.

"You trust me, don't you?" His voice was desperate now, and he feared that she had perhaps misspoken.

"Yes."

"Do you?"

"I do," she replied automatically, though her confusion was apparent.

He took a deep breath. "Sharpay, I lied to you."

"About what?"

"I didn't mean to lie to you, but I was scared."

"Of what?"

"Losing you," he croaked out.

"Troy, nothing you say is making any sense right now."

He glanced away, ashamed. "That night, at the party—"

"What party?"

"_That_ party," he paused, clearing his throat. "Where I told you nothing happened between us, I lied about it."

Sharpay distanced herself further away from him, towards the shore as though she might make a run for it. "What are you trying to say?" she demanded unevenly.

He tried to reach out for her, but she angled away from his touch, and he knew he was losing it. "You have to trust me on this, Shar. I've never meant for anything bad—"

"Troy." His name was a plea, and it broke his heart that she would have to ever use it.

"We were together. Physically."

She stared at him for a moment, searching his face for something—anything—that perhaps this time he was playing another cruel joke on her.

"You said—"

"I lied."

"Why?"

There was no easy way out.

"Because I love you, Shar, that's why," he spat out, all of his pent-up frustration and anguish pouring out. "I fucking fell in love with you and I don't want you to keep pushing me away. I wanted you so much, but I also wanted you to want to be with me and not see me as this perverse high school jock who only cared about sex. I wanted you to love me—for me."

**Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight  
Just a touch of the fire burning so bright**

Her glare would've killed even the scariest Viking, but Troy wasn't going to back down now—not after all that he'd said. He reckoned that whether or not she was going to forgive him this time, at least she was given an explanation. She had to know that he had long entrusted his heart with her, regardless of how she felt for him. Sharpay could hate him after this, and he would graciously accept it.

**I don't want to mess this thing up  
I don't want to push too far**

"You lied to me—twice—no, you told me the truth and then made me think that you lied so that you can start on a clean slate? Is that it?" she lashed out.

At least she wasn't choking him to death.

"I'm not proud of it, Sharpay, but I was desperate."

"I trusted you!"

"Which is why I don't want to start this with a lie."

"Well, that's too late now, isn't it?" she retorted, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"No, it's not. Nothing's too late," he said adamantly.

**Just a shot in the dark that you just might  
Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life**

Her expression softened very slightly. "How could you, Troy?"

The betrayal that she portrayed made him wish that he was buried six feet underground. Hopefully a giant sea monster would appear and eat him alive. At least he wouldn't have to witness the amount of hurt he'd caused her.

**So baby I'm alright with just a kiss goodnight**

"I needed you to see me," he lowly uttered.

"I _did_ see you, regardless of what I thought we did or didn't do," she told him. "I saw you years ago at your very first basketball tournament. I saw you win all those trophies and I saw you on stage for TwinkleTown. I've always seen you, Troy, and I didn't need you to lie to me at all. Would _you_ have seen me if we hadn't been together that night?"

"I saw you, Shar—"

"Did you?" she challenged. "Or were you like everybody else in school?"

"Those days are over."

"It wouldn't have been if it weren't for that night—"

"Do you regret it?"

He just had to know.

"I can't even remember it!"

Troy fell silent. "It doesn't have to be this way—"

"God, I trusted you, Troy." Her speech cracked. A tiny sob escaped her lips, and he wanted nothing more than to take her sadness away.

He strayed nearer to her, and throwing caution to the wind, he held the nape of her neck, gently resting his forehead against hers. "You can trust me this time," he promised.

"Why?" she whispered. "What difference does this time make?"

Troy rubbed soothing circles on the sensitive patch of skin behind her ear. "Because I have nothing else to lose, but you. And I can't lose you, Shar—not like this and not right now." He took a deep breath, inhaling her mesmerizing scent. "Everyday I wake up in the morning only because I look forward to seeing you, and every night I hope that I've done enough to prove to you that I care—only to wake up again the next morning thinking that maybe I hadn't—but I didn't dare give up on you. And for that I'm begging you, Sharpay, please, don't give up on me too."

**Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight  
Just a touch of the fire burning so bright  
I don't want to mess this thing up  
I don't want to push too far**

A single tear rolled down her porcelain cheek, leaving behind a trail of moisture. He wiped it away, only to trigger the rest that came trickling down after.

"I'll think about it, Troy."

**Just a shot in the dark that you just might  
Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life**

That was enough of a promise for him. It was more than he deserved.

Closing what little gap there was, he tenderly captured her rosy lips with his, and kissed her with everything he had.

**So baby I'm alright with just a kiss goodnight**

"Take all the time you need. I'll be waiting."

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, firstly, I cannot express how disappointed I am that CW cancelled Hellcats! That's preposterous! I've loved every single episode so far, and I think the season finale had wonderful opportunities for a continuation in season two! It's totally unfair.

Secondly, yes, I'm giving you a chapter on Sharpay and Troy's skinny dipping escapade! Yay! I know it's not how most of you would envision it, but I thought this was important because it's a turning point for the both of them.

Thirdly, I would like to assure you guys, my lovely and wonderful readers, that this story has a happy ending. I'm not sadistic in any way. I'm just a romantic.

Fourthly, I am so happy with the number of reviews I've received! You guys are AWESOME!

**Xcreamchip:** (In my best Dan Patch impersonation) Well, hello there! Yes, I'll admit that I like the friendship things going on between Dan and Sharpay. It's unlike any kind of friendship because it goes beyond the surface (woo…deep…). I'm sorry if I scared you with the last part about Sharpay and not having enough time, but rest assured that this story has a happy ending, really! Thank you so much for the wonderful comments! (blush…) and also for being an amazing reader who's constantly reviewing and giving me opinions. It's what always keeps me going! Hope you like this chapter and I look forward to your thoughts about it! :D

**62toasters62:** No, no, don't cry! This story's going to have a happy ending, I swear! I know that's kind of a spoiler for everyone but I think I've tortured you guys enough with all the waiting and anticipation on what's wrong with Sharpay. Thank you so much for the lovely comments! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Nikita jain:** Hi there! Thank you so much for the lovely comments! I'm glad that you liked the previous chapter! There is a sort of triangle between Sharpay, Troy and Dan, and I love exploring Dan Patch as a character and as an important person in Sharpay's life. There will definitely be more of him, don't worry! (wink, wink!) Let me know what you think of this update, yeah? :D

**Virmett:** Hello! Well, I don't really want anything bad to happen to her either, and things might escalate from here for Sharpay and Troy. I'm glad that you feel connected to the characters! It's an amazing feeling when people tell me that they can relate to the story, and it makes me work harder to make the story so much better. Thank you so much for your awesome comments! I really appreciate it! No worries about chapter 23. I know how tough the exam periods can be, and education always comes first :P Let me know if you like this chapter, alright? Cheers!

**Neila_cross:** I am a huge Hellcats fan! I don't get CW where I live but I watch it online every week! I'm so upset that they cancelled it after one season! Thank you so much for your lovely comments! Yes, I felt that a little too much of Troy panting over Sharpay is not the best way to portray his character. He is still his own person so he still has his own life to deal with. Hehe…I know I'm being such an pain in the ass with all this prolonging of Sharpay's…situation, but I've crafted a suitable time for the reveal. I'm so sorry to have to keep you in suspense for a while longer, but I promise that you'll understand why when the time comes. Please don't hate me for it (hides behind a bush)! Hope you've enjoyed this chapter!

**Bottle_It_Up25:** Hi! Thank you so much for reviewing and leaving a wonderful comment! I'm glad you like this story! Sorry to keep you waiting! Hope you like this chapter!

**Mumuu:** Hello there! Awww…thank you so much for reading this fanfic and for your lovely comments as well! It's always nice to hear from a new reader! :D

**Lachicarebelde22:** Hi! Thank you so much for your review! Yes, I will continue writing this story until the very end :D

**ILoveZacEfron27:** Hello! Wow! Thank you so much for spending so much time reading my story! I am truly flattered! I hope I didn't distract you too much, though :P I think Sharpay should give Troy a chance too, which is why I figured it was time that she let him in! Thank you so much for your wonderful comments (blush)…awww…you're such a sweetheart! I always try and give my best ('cause Troypay deserves nothing less…hey, that rhymes!) Good luck for your exams! And I hope you've enjoyed this chapter!

Song used — "Just a Kiss" by Lady Antebellum


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: **Hi guys! Firstly, I would like to thank each and every one of you who had been reading and reviewing and supporting me and the story all this time! Just to let you know, this chapter is a llittle shorter than my previous chapters, but I feel that it's significant nonetheless. Cheers!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 26**

They were lying side-by-side—fully clothed—on the sand, simply staring up at the velvet sky and enjoying each other's company in silence. The only sounds were the lapping of waves on the shore and their occasional sighs of contentment, both wishing that life were as easy as just existing.

The moon, the allure and air of mystery it exuded as it glowed against the vast night sky, had always intrigued Sharpay. She smiled up at it—in all its fullness—and allowed herself the pleasure to escape and venture into the realm of the unknown, even if it was just for a while. She knew the science—where the spherical mass was nothing but dirt and rocks—but she took enjoyment in all the metaphors it represented.

"What time is it?" Troy's hushed voice echoed in her ear, his warm breath caressing her silky skin.

Without taking her eyes off the radiant globe, she murmured back. "Does it matter?"

"I have to be home before midnight," he bashfully admitted, then kissed the soft flesh beneath her jaw to hide his embarrassment.

It tickled slightly, making her giggle. "Troy Bolton is under a curfew?"

He groaned, clearly humiliated enough. "Shut up."

Sharpay finally turned her head to face him, and suddenly found herself being captivated by his azure eyes, reflecting the glistening stars overhead. "Do you want to leave, then?"

There it was again.

The way he looked at her.

**You, by the light  
****Is the greatest find  
****In a world full wrong you're the thing that's right  
****Finally made it through the lonely to the other side**

It caused a stir in the pit of her stomach, like a million tiny fireworks exploding in sync.

"No, not really," he replied.

"Looks like we've reached an impasse."

His lips twitched up in a grin as he playfully tapped on the tip of her nose. "Sometimes I wonder if you've accidentally swallowed a dictionary."

"Sometimes I wonder if you need to start reading one," she quipped back, batting her long lashes in a perfect picture of innocence.

Troy appreciated her humour, chuckling heartily. "You don't get nearly enough credit for your wit," he told her and mindlessly began twirling her blonde locks around his finger.

She shrugged, feigning offence. "I know. It's degrading."

"If it helps, I think you're an amazing person, Sharpay Evans," he said sincerely. "You're incredibly talented and smart, and you shouldn't ever let someone tell you otherwise."

**You said it again my heart's in motion  
****Every word feels like a shooting star  
****I'm at the edge of my emotions  
****Watching the shadows burning in the dark**

Her heart melted and pooled in the centre of her soul, his words bathing her in rich warmness she's never felt before. It coursed through her veins like honey, sending a delicious shiver running down her spine. She felt the rush of blood filling her cheeks and wondered if she'd ever get used to hearing his compliments, his expressive side only made more sensual and ablaze by the hint of lust behind those cerulean blue eyes.

"Thanks, Troy, you're not so bad yourself," she pointed out as nonchalantly as possible.

He gave her a chaste peck on the corner of her luscious lips. "You're sweet. You get a kiss."

"And you're going to be late," she reminded him, placing a hand on his chest to zestfully shove him away.

Troy groaned, but reluctantly rolled onto his stomach and hauled himself up to his feet. Sharpay tilted her head and watched as he raised his arms and stretched his body, appreciating how his shirt rode up slightly over his pants to reveal a strip of rippled muscles bumping his smooth torso. It was as though he'd been a Greek God in another life. Nobody should look this scrumptious. She sucked in a much-needed breath of air, suddenly feeling mildly faint.

He caught her staring and smirked. "Like what you see?"

Like a whip, Sharpay fixed her face to look unperturbed—a skill she'd honed her whole life. "You could be a bit tanner, but I guess it'll do," she sighed dismissively, dramatically extending her hand out to him and wriggling her digits to signal to him. "Help me up."

He rolled his eyes but obliged to her request. She grinned coquettishly in return and was about to dust the sand off her jeans when he gave her a hard tug, colliding their bodies together in one swift move. Sharpay felt—rather than heard—herself gasp at the abrupt contact and the heat that was transmitting to every nerve ending in her petite frame as he held her in his strong arms. One slightly calloused hand reached up to cup her face, his thumb gently grazing over and creating circular soothing patterns. Sharpay's breathing turned shallow and for the umpteenth time today she was drowning in his oceanic gaze—too deep into his hypnotic abyss to save and salvage. He trailed the other hand up her slender arm—a move so erotic and pure—she thought she might self-combust right there and then.

**And I'm in love and I'm terrified.  
****For the first time in the last time  
****In my only life.**

"We should go," she whispered.

"I'll drive," he offered. "You already took the liberty when we came here, the least I could do is return the favour."

"Right."

Neither one of them budged.

"We _really_ should be going," Sharpay let out a nervous laugh.

Troy mutely nodded, and then slowly peeled himself away from her, his warmth quickly leaving her body. She pouted slightly at the loss, but when he encased her dainty hand in his, she had to bit back a smile, not wanting to give him the satisfaction just yet. They made their way back to the car, and Sharpay tossed him her set of keys. He caught it perfectly in midair before sliding into the driver's seat. She got in after him while he started the engine. Sharpay couldn't help but glow. Their movements were flawless, each step easily complimenting the other.

Like pieces of a puzzle.

* * *

The journey back home was a little too short for his liking. He was aware that as the distance towards his destination lessened, so did the speed in which he was driving at. He inwardly scorned whenever another familiar street passed by, taunting him that his time spent with her was running out. Troy had never disliked the sight of his house till that very moment as he pulled over by the pavement.

They sat there for a bit, both teenagers contemplating the next move.

**And this could be good  
****It's already better than that  
****And nothing's worse than knowing  
****You're holding back**

"Is your dad still up?" she finally broke the silence.

He glanced over at the windows, noting that it was dark over by the kitchen, though it seemed like the living room was dimly lit. "I guess so, drill sergeant and what not."

She nodded sympathetically. "Sorry I got you into so much trouble."

"Hey, I make my own decisions, remember?" he said, leaning over brush away a stray tendril of her hair that was falling over her almond eyes. "You don't have to apologise for anything."

**I could be all that you needed  
****If you let me try**

Sharpay offered him a weak smile. "You should go. Drill sergeant and what not?"

He managed a tiny chuckle, which even to his ears it didn't sound convincing. Parting from her was turning out to be even more difficult than he'd initially thought. He loved her all-consuming presence—the way her laughter illuminated her beautiful features, the way her non-judgmental character made him feel the most comfortable he'd ever been with anybody, or the way her spontaneous side always lured him back for more—and he was addicted on her drug.

**You said it again my heart's in motion  
****Every word feels like a shooting star  
****I'm at the edge of my emotions  
****Watching the shadows burning in the dark**

Being with Sharpay made him whole.

Different.

Better.

**And I'm in love and I'm terrified.  
****For the first time in the last time  
****In my only life.**

"I just realized that my car's still in school," he mumbled.

She cocked an eyebrow. "And?"

"Could you drive me there?"

"Now?"

Feeling rather stupid, he helplessly shrugged his shoulders. "How else am I going to school tomorrow?"

"But the gates are already locked at this time of the night," she reasoned.

As if he couldn't be any dumber.

"Damnit!" he cursed under his breath.

There was a pause.

_Well, I could take the bus,_ he figured, and then flinched at the possibility. He wasn't a snob per se, but he really didn't enjoy using the public transport ever since the gum incident not too long ago. Troy recoiled at the memory.

"Don't you ride with your dad to school?" Sharpay wondered.

Troy wrinkled his nose in semi-disgust. "And listen to his endless droning on game plans? I'd rather walk barefoot than be in the same car as him."

She giggled, a sound so melodic he could listen to it all day. "I'll pick you up at seven-fifteen," she said. "Don't be late."

He opened his mouth and was about to say something when she beat him to it by pressing her index finger to hip lips.

"No arguing, and no excuses. Seven-fifteen."

**I only said it 'cause I mean it  
****I only mean 'cause it's true,  
****So don't you doubt what I've been dreaming,  
****'Cause it fills me up and holds me close  
****Whenever I'm without you**

Troy made a noise—somewhere between a whimper and a groan—her lonesome touch paralyzing his limbs as his blue eyes bore into her hazel ones. The crackle of electricity that surged in their interlocking gaze robbed whatever scrap of self-control he had left. He knew that he should give her some space to allow her to think, and he'd been trying to resist the huge urge to kiss her senseless. She probably wouldn't like it so much if he just ravaged her to his heart's desire, but as he trailed his vision lower to her plump rosy lips he couldn't fight it any longer.

**You said it again my heart's in motion  
****Every word feels like a shooting star  
****I'm at the edge of my emotions  
****Watching the shadows burning in the dark**

"Can I kiss you?" he croaked out huskily against her finger.

"Yes."

He slowly leaned in, pausing momentarily when their noses were barely an inch apart, their warm breath mingling as they relished in what was about to happen next, and he couldn't wait any longer. Threading his fingers through her silky hair, Troy seized upon her mouth, capturing her pert lips with his and let out a low groan when he heard a gasping sigh escape her throat. Her wanton response only heightened his hunger for her. Firmly, he held her head in place, angling it so that he could deepen the kiss. His mouth moved over hers, osculating her with lascivious sipping motions, but he still needed more of her. However, before he could continue on with his ministrations, she tenderly pulled away.

**And I'm in love and I'm terrified.  
****For the first time in the last time  
****In my only life.**

"I'm still thinking about it, Troy."

"I'm still waiting."

* * *

He watched as her black convertible rounded the corner and disappeared into the night, a boyishly dazed grin still plastered onto his face, the euphoria of that kiss still lingering and tingling in his being. Reaching up, he rubbed the nape of his neck and entered the house.

Troy popped his head into the living room. His brow furrowed slightly when he saw that it was empty, and that a table lamp had been left still lit up. Rolling his eyes, Troy crossed the room to turn it off, only to be engulfed in pitch black. Blindly, he felt his way over to the stairs and flicked the switch on the wall, instantly brightening the hallway. He hiked up to his room and shut the door.

"Jesus!"

"I'm sorry, so sorry!"

Troy scowled menacingly, totally pissed off that his ex-girlfriend would stalk into his room and scare the shit out of him—whether intentionally or not—the point being that she shouldn't even be there. He glared hard at her, seething with apparent rage he never expected he would ever have for her.

Gabriella shamefully glanced down at the carpeted floor, all the while fidgeting with the hem of her woolen cardigan as she sat on the edge of his bed, and Troy was hauled back to the past where he had first met her—the shy and reserved person that she had once been.

But he knew better.

And he wasn't fooled.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Gabriella?" he snarled, dumping his backpack onto the roller chair by his desk and making his way over to the opened window. He stood with his back to her, staring out at the quiet neighbourhood, figuring it was probably how she managed to get in.

"I needed to see you," she replied timidly.

"Why?"

He was so furious, he couldn't even face her at the moment.

"I'm worried about you, Troy."

"Worried about me?" he spat out, whirling around to point at her. "You don't get to be worried about me, alright? It's over between us. There's not a shit for you to care about."

She raised her head to look at him, tears glazing her ebony eyes. "What happened to you, Troy? You've changed so much, it's like I don't know you anymore. I accepted it when you broke up with me, and I tried to lead a life without you, but how could you throw Chad away like that? He's your best friend and—"

"He _was_ my best friend," he snapped back at her. "Until he sold me out to my dad!"

"That's not the reason, Troy, and you know it!"

Troy clenched his fists. "Don't you dare! You have no right to be here and tell me what's going on with my life when your own is a fucked-up lie!"

"I told you," she defended. "I told you that I was afraid of losing you, which was why I changed—for you—but now I know that I didn't have to, that you loved me for who I was when you first met me—"

"That was the past, Gabriella," he told her authoritatively. "Things are different now."

She got to her feet, turning her body to fully regard him. "But don't you wish for things to be back to the way they were before?" Her tone was forlorn and pleading, and the tiny nostalgic smile that played on her rouged lips were almost heart-breaking if it weren't so filled with desperation.

"Not once—"

The dark-haired girl took a few steps towards him but he stood rigid. "But I've changed, Troy, you've got to believe me. I'm back to being the Gabby you used to know."

Troy narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "That's fucking bullshit."

She gnawed on her bottom lip and resumed fussing over her cardigan, as though she couldn't wait to take it off. "I think about you every day and night. I miss all the wonderful times we had—our movie dates, the picnic anniversaries—I miss them all. I miss you," she softly admitted. "I still love you."

"But I don't. I haven't been in a long time." In frustration, he threw his hands up in the air. "Damnit, Gabriella, I didn't know what love is."

At that, she recoiled, visibly stung by his words. "But you told me that you loved me."

"I know," he nodded, raking his fingers through his shaggy mahogany copper hair. "And I shouldn't have."

She walked over to him in three short strides before slapping him across the cheek, her long fingernails cutting the skin just below his eyes. Troy cradled his face where the burning sting pulsated. He reckoned he had that coming, but all he felt was the physical pain. Emotionally, he was intact, and her actions didn't faze him at all. Unperturbed, he took an intimidating step towards her. There was a flicker of fear in her eyes, and the reality of what she'd done seemed to finally dawn on her, for she gasped in shock and masked her mouth with both her hands.

"Oh, my God, Troy, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you," she blurted out.

"Get out now, Gabriella."

"Troy—"

"I said, get out!"

Tears were streaming down her cheeks in black rivers of leaking mascara as she clung onto his elbow. "No, don't do this, Troy, please—"

"I should have kicked you out the second I saw you in here, Gabriella," he said heatedly, snatching his arm back. "But I gave you a chance to explain yourself. I can jolly well call the cops on you right now for trespassing."

"You wouldn't!"

His expression was unforgiving as he sneered. "Watch me."

"No, don't!" she cried out, dropping to her knees. "Troy, please, don't do this. We were amazing together. How could you be so heartless?"

"It's too late, now."

"Nothing is too late. We can still go back to the way we were."

"But I don't love you, Gabriella!" he exploded. "Don't you get it? I don't love you!"

"Then who is it?" she shrieked. "It's Sharpay, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's Sharpay!" he bellowed, loud enough for possibly the entire city to hear. "I love her! Are you satisfied, now?"

"How could you, Troy?"

"How could _you_? If you think I'm retarded enough not to see through your lies, then you're a lot dumber than I thought," he told her. "You didn't come here for anything but yourself. This act that you're putting on, it's not fooling me at all. You're so enamoured with being popular and loved by the entire school that you're desperate enough to come to me and get it back, am I right?"

"I didn't—"

"Am I right?"

Gabriella furiously shook her head to deny his statement, but her charcoal-coloured eyes portrayed otherwise. She wasn't nearly the great actress that Sharpay Evans was, and he was repulsed that the brunette would even attempt such a feat.

"I'm sick of your little games, Gabriella," he said scornfully. "I think you better leave."

"I'm only trying to take back what was rightfully mine," she spouted in surrender, her bitter tone matching up to the dark shadow that casted over her doll-like features.

He was on the brink of blowing up, and he knew he would hate himself if he were to punch her. He already despised that he'd palmed her once; he swore he wouldn't do anything like that ever again, so he vented his anger on his desk, banging his fists on the solid wood. Gabriella made a strangled sound, whimpering at the foot of his bed, curled up in a tight ball like a frightened puppy.

"I'm not anybody's property!"

With all the noise and commotion that was happening, he was actually surprised that neither one of his parents had barged into his room.

"Leave. Now."

"Troy—"

"Go!"

This time, she quickly scrambled to her feet, stumbling over to the door, fumbling with the knob. Troy didn't even look up when she made an exit. He heard the faint sound of the entrance open and shut, and sighed in relief, swiping his hand over his sweat-covered face.

All of a sudden he felt a lingering presence by his doorway and glanced over to find his father glowering at him, disappointment etched into his manly features. Still blazing from all the rage, Troy trudged over to the older man, meeting his steely glare head on.

Then, without flinching or blinking, Troy slammed the door in his father's face.

* * *

Sharpay was hearing movement in the kitchen, and her brows furrowed slightly at the thought of having to deal with her twin brother and his endless judgmental analysis on Troy Bolton. She let out a groaning sigh, debating whether she should make a run for it and avoid a confrontation—and then wondered if he would still pester her nonetheless—or just get it over with as painlessly as possible.

_Might as well just bite the bullet,_ she figured, knowing that her loser of a sibling wasn't much of a threat either way.

Taking a deep breath for added composure, she squared her shoulder and marched into the kitchen. She was ultimately in charge of her own life and she made her own decisions, Ryan be damned. His sarcastic input wasn't tolerated, if anything it was scoffed at since he had absolutely no idea what was going on. He could assume and bitch all he wanted, but she would brush them off without so much as a blink.

Sharpay did a double take when she saw whom it was standing in by the center island, preparing a pot of coffee.

"Tris?"

The dark-haired teenager glanced up from her task and grinned in that vague way of hers. "Hey, Shar," she greeted with a general wave of her hand. "Want some coffee?"

Sharpay shrugged and placed her bag on the countertop. "Sure," she said, hopping up onto a stool. Leaning her elbows on the cool marble surface, she asked, "but what are you doing here?"

Trista pulled a mug from the cupboard and poured a generous amount of coffee into it before sliding it across to the blonde actress. "Your brother called me an hour ago and demanded I get my ass over," she explained, and then rolled her platinum-coloured eyes.

"He didn't!"

"He sounded quite urgent and rather hysterical, so I came," she went on after taking a sip of her drink. "I fucking went a hundred miles per hour for that git. When I arrived he was pacing around like an idiot, and the first thing he said to me was 'how the fuck does Troy Bolton know about Dan?' all up in my face like I owed him something."

"That rat bastard," Sharpay sputtered. "How did he find out?"

"He was looking for you during lunch," Trista clarified. "Said he bumped into Troy, who told him that he saw you leave school with Dan. Is that true?"

Sharpay nodded. "Dan showed up during lunch and we drove by the highway to eat."

Her brunette friend tilted her head quizzically. "He showed up just like that? Why would he do that?"

"I bled onto his towel," she mumbled, then narrowed her eyes to give the other girl a simple glare. "And apparently you filled him in on the missing details."

Trista didn't look apologetic as she took another sip of the coffee. "Come on, Shar, he already knows. We're like the Non-Judging Breakfast Club on Gossip Girl, just not as filthy rich."

Sharpay almost spit her drink out at the comment. "I can't believe you just referenced that."

"Either way," she cut in, flipping her jet-black hair. "Dan would find out sooner or later. Besides, you really shouldn't hide anything from him, especially not something as big as this. We're all in this together, remember?"

Of course she remembered. The three of them had gone through impossibly dark times together, and one so arcane that the only thing she ever recalled from it was sitting on the floor at the corner of the emergency room, crying as she clung onto Dan while her other friend lay motionless in the operating unit and got her stomach pumped out. Sharpay had never been so terrified in her life. She hadn't wanted to even think of the possibilities had she not reached in time for her.

They were all in this together.

"I told him during lunch," Sharpay revealed. "He's surprisingly calm about this."

"He was being strong for you, Shar."

"I know," she said and downed the remaining liquid in the mug. Then she glanced around to inspect the place. "Where is my shit ass brother, anyway?"

"After I told him I had no idea where you were and whom you were with, he took off, mumbling something about going to Kelsi's," Trista smirked, refilling her cup with more coffee. "Who's Kelsi?"

"The music director for the play," Sharpay told her.

"Is he screwing her?"

The blonde teenager snickered. "I wouldn't count on it."

"Bookish?"

"Pretty much. Why do you care?"

Trista shrugged again. "He may be a prick, but your brother's a good fuck."

Wincing, Sharpay cupped her ears with her hands. "Ew! Ew! Ew!" she exclaimed in horror as the other girl laughed.

"Why are you home to late, anyway?" Trista questioned. "And why is your hair all damp?" she added as an afterthought.

Sharpay tried to hide the grin that was stretching across her face, although she knew that the mysterious glint in her eyes was giving her away.

"Did you go for a swim?" Trista pressed on.

"Yup," she replied, popping the last syllable.

"Alone?"

"Nope."

"With Dan?"

Sharpay shook her head. "Nuh-uh."

With a knowing look, Trista guessed, "were you with Troy?"

"You can say so."

"Oh, my God!" Trista squealed, pointing accusingly at her. "You guys went skinny dipping, didn't you?"

"Maybe."

"Tell me all about it."

* * *

**A/N: **Firstly, yes, Gossip Girl is my guilty pleasure, and I'm impatiently waiting for season 5 to begin filming and airing! So, I realized that I just had to bring in Gabriella because of reasons that I can't tell you right now :P But either way, we are moving forward with Troy and Sharpay's relationship! Yay!

**Xcreamchip:** Wow! Thank you so much for the amazing comments! –blush!- Yes, I promise it'll be a happy ending (wouldn't want you to die now, do we?) You summarized my chapter brilliantly! It's all true what you mentioned about Troy having Sharpay but he still decides to tell her the truth. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you again, so very much for constantly reading and reviewing my story! It motivates me so much to push on and write better chapters! Hope you like this chapter! Let me know :D I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

**62toasters62:** Aww! I'm glad I made you happy by updating! You make me happy by reviewing! I'm honored that this story is one of your favourites! Thank you so much! I don't think this story is going to be ending any time soon, 'cause to me the story's just about halfway through! Hope you've enjoyed this update! Cheers!

**Neila cross:** Hi there! LOL! So glad and relieved to know that you don't hate me :P I like injecting emotions into the story. It gets rather boring for me to write if everything seems monotonous. I absolutely love how you're viewing the skinny dipping scene as something symbolic and metaphorical, and that it means so much more than just the surface. Your analysis is spot on! You actually went deeper than I did when I was writing it. The whole idea for me is just that I wanted a sensual yet innocent scene between Sharpay and Troy as he told her the truth. And yes, I so agree with you on the Hellcats thing. So disappointing! Anyway, I know this chapter's rather short, but I hope you like it anyway! Let me know what you think! Looking forward to more Lit major analysis! :P

**CharminglyShar:** Hello there! Firstly, OMG, you're so cute! I can't believe you reviewed each and every chapter! I'm not complaining or anything because every new comment made me smile :D Like that! Big smile! It was such a pleasant surprise when I logged in one morning and have like 20 more reviews, and it actually made me really excited! I'll try to slot in more Ryan and Sharpay moments because he is her brother after all. He'll play quite a role in the future chapters, though, so don't worry :D I look forward to more of your wonderful reviews!

**Lachicarebelde22:** Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Hope you like this chapter :D

Song used — "Terrified" by Katharine McPhee feat. Zachary Levi


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: **Hello! I know it's been some time since I last updated this story, but life and work's getting in the way again. Nonetheless, I've managed to squeeze out this chapter, in which I had some fun writing. However, before you start reading this, I would like to personally thank you for even clicking onto this story! Enjoy!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 27**

It was obvious.

God, it was _so_ obvious.

_They_ were obvious.

Stepping through the main doors, Sharpay did a big show of rolling her hazel eyes and tossing her blonde curls over her shoulders. A momentary hush fell over the sea of students and she smirked in recognition, secretly impressed that she could still evoke such a reaction—that she still held that air of superiority even in the midst of a social downfall. She paused; one hand perched strategically on her hip and arched a skillfully sculpted brow. As if on cue, the quiet murmurs began rippling down the corridor. Whispered gossips were non-discreetly shared amongst the female population with scrutinizing gazes being aimed her way. However, having built a tolerance—more so an ignorance—to their pathetic attempts at heightening their self-esteem for so long, Sharpay brushed each judgmental—and thoroughly hypocritical—comments aside with ease and stuck her nose towards the sky, well aware that practically every male specimen in the room was watching her stride over to that trademark hot pink locker she owned.

She popped the metal door open, and heaved a small sigh of relief. It was the only form of refuge she had in that short span of time. The vicious cycle was never-ending, like a whirlpool constantly sucking her in, drawing her energy day after day.

In a way, this jolt back to reality was a great reminder that she couldn't live in that perfect little blissful bubble—that silly fairy tales didn't exist in her world.

**Got a secret  
****Can you keep it?  
****Swear this one you'll save  
****Better lock it, in your pocket  
****Taking this one to the grave**

People were always going to talk about her. They were constantly trying to pinpoint every minute fault just to take her down—but Sharpay Evans wasn't one to crumble the moment shit happened. She faced them head on each time, proving to everyone that she was a force to be reckoned with—that she wasn't one to be easily swayed. There was not one thing she hadn't heard being said about her. She'd been accused of being a bulimic, a cutter, a flat-out bitch, a whore, a boyfriend-stealing slut, a spoilt brat—any form of negative adjective you can find in the dictionary, they've all been used on her.

Only now, they had another subject to add in: Troy Bolton.

His knightly episode against Chad Danforth the day before had sparked rumours as wide as the entire country. It was causing a buzz bigger than a celebrity scandal, and although part of her was miffed at the whole ordeal, the larger part of her was humbled by his defence, but she knew that not one soul in the school would've seen it that way.

Ice Queens didn't have hearts, anyway.

Still, she raved at the fact that only Troy had seen the real her.

Screw everyone else.

"What does he see in her anyway? She's like Medusa reincarnate."

Sharpay froze as an unsuspecting conversation wove into her ears.

"Yeah, and can you believe it? She totally stole Troy from Gabriella, that ho!"

"Did you hear what happened yesterday?"

"He almost punched Chad in the face—"

**If I show you then  
****I know you  
****Won't tell what I said  
**'**Cause two can keep a secret  
****If one of them is dead…**

She tuned them out, their ridiculous assumptions eating on her nerves like an infectious disease, and she hated it whenever her day started out with shit-ass remarks about her life. Letting out a huff, she quickly straightened her posture and adjusted her appearance, arranging her facial features in a portrait of disregard.

Just then, she felt a presence next to her and turned to face a very nervous-looking Kelsi Nielsen, standing in front of her cradling a thick stack of paper in her arms, the circular-rimmed spectacles sliding down the bridge of her nose.

"Good morning, Shar," she greeted timidly with a lopsided smile.

"Morning, Kels," the blonde replied tersely. "Are those the posters?"

Kelsi nodded, and Sharpay reached out to inspect it, proof-reading the copy for any grammatical or gross errors and making sure that all the respective details were there. Visually, the poster was rather attractive and colourful with big bold fonts and against a stage backdrop. She was relatively impressed, if Kelsi had in fact done it up all by herself, though nothing got past Sharpay unnoticed. Sure, she could be cold and snippy, but that didn't mean she wouldn't give credit where it was due.

"Tell Ryan his typography is improving," she said with an approving nod before eyeing the guilt-ridden songwriter. "Hand some over to me and make sure to put the rest up all over school—especially the cafeteria."

"Thanks, Shar," Kelsi blurted out, taking a handful of posters and passing them to Sharpay. "I've emailed you some demos for the songs too."

"I'll look into it."

And with a tiny meek bow of her head, Kelsi scampered off. Sharpay authoritatively slammed her locker shut and sauntered over to the noticeboard, more whispers trailing after her as she tacked on two posters.

"Hey, beautiful."

She felt his soothing breath against her ear and shivered involuntarily, loving the way his husky voice sounded in close proximity. A cautious hand slipped up to trace the contour of her waist, the touch was so delicious and intimate Sharpay had to bite on her lower lip to stop a moan from escaping. There was a row rumble as he chuckled—deep and sensual—and for a split second she leaned into his hold, only to realize where they were and quickly pulled away.

"Hey yourself," she grinned, remembering the wonderful time they had the previous night as she admired his handsomely boyish face. Something was different, and she noticed the jarring red flaw beneath his eye. Tenderly, she ran a finger over it and asked, "what happened?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "It was dark when I came home last night and I hit myself against the door."

It was a well-rehearsed excuse, one that Sharpay immediately picked up on. "You hit yourself against the door?" she repeated skeptically.

**Why do you smile  
****Like you have told a secret  
****Now you're telling lies  
**'**Cause you're the one to keep it**

Troy gave another shrug of his shoulders, struggling to maintain that impassive façade, but Sharpay was getting none of it. Taking a quick glimpse around to make sure nobody was watching them, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him over to a slightly secluded corner.

"Alright, out with it, Troy," she demanded. "No bullshit this time. What really happened?"

"I told you—"

"Sell that story to someone who's buying," she interrupted. "But I drive a hard bargain, so I suggest you tell me the truth."

**But no one keeps a secret  
****No one keeps a secret**

He paused for a moment, the dilemma reflecting in his gorgeous cerulean blue eyes until he eventually sighed in resignation. Upon sensing his hesitation, she took a tiny step forward and planted an encouraging kiss on his cheek.

"Tell me, Troy," she softly uttered.

"Gabriella was in my room when I reached home," he explained, caving in, and Sharpay felt her insides flaring up. "I kept asking her to leave, but she just wouldn't. She said some fucked-up shit about you, I got angry, she got angry and before I knew it she slapped me."

Sharpay's eyes widened. "She hit you?"

"Wouldn't be the first time for me," he said in a frail attempt at a joke.

"Troy—"

"She's got really sharp nails."

"I'm sorry I got you into this mess," she told him sincerely, regret etched in her features. "None of this would've happened if you hadn't defended me yesterday—"

"Hey," he interjected, cupping her porcelain face. "It's not your fault, alright? If anything, I brought this upon myself, but I don't regret it. I don't regret any of it. Gabriella can send me down to the gates of hell and I still wouldn't regret any of this, you hear me?"

Wordlessly, she nodded her head in response, and was instantly rewarded when he enveloped her in a fierce embrace.

**Why when we do our darkest deeds  
****Do we tell?  
****They burn in our brains  
****Become a living hell  
**'**Cause everyone tells  
****Everyone tells…**

"How have you been?" he murmured into her hair.

"School hasn't even started yet and I feel like I just ran into a tornado," she grumbled, nuzzling her nose deeper into his chest, inhaling his musky masculine scent. "Everybody's talking about us and about what happened with Chad."

"He's a bastard," Troy declared.

"But the whole school thinks you're the bad guy."

His lips twitched up in a sort of devious manner. "I thought you don't care what the whole school thinks?"

"I don't care what they think of _me_," she clarified.

Troy raised his eyebrows questioningly. "But you're bothered about what they think of me?"

She was about to open her mouth and answer him when the first bell rang, cutting their conversation short. Reluctantly, she peeled herself away from his body, giggling when he groaned and tightened his hold on her.

"We've got to go, Troy."

"Don't wanna," he childishly whined. "I'd much rather stay here with you."

"People will see us," she playfully protested.

"Fuck that, let them see."

"Troy—" she began, gently pushing him away. "I'm still thinking about it."

"Oh." Dejected and disappointed, he tentatively stepped back. "Sorry, I didn't mean—"

"No, don't," she stopped his impending rant. "We're in this together, Troy."

He managed a small smile—one reserved especially for her—and then laid a peck on the corner of her pert lips, assuring her that he was okay with it, and that no damage was done.

"I love you, Shar."

Those three words.

Those eight letters.

She wanted so much to say them back to him—wanted so much to make him the happiest man alive, wanted to see his whole face light up brighter than the sun—but she knew she couldn't.

_At least not yet._

So instead, she settled for something neutral.

"I know."

* * *

Troy bolted out of his seat the instant he heard the lunch bell ring, desperate and anxious to get the hell out of that shit hole. Being in that room for an hour and a half was like a gas chamber with a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode, and it hadn't even been his most hated subject. Those four walls were toxic, filled with bio-hazardous objects—like a certain ex-best friend of his—were choking him to death, a slow painful one at that. He left without bothering to listen in on the details of his homework assignment.

_Fuck that, I'm already getting detention anyway_, he thought darkly, a shadow of a sarcastic smirk gracing his lips as he focused all of his energy on getting himself out of that contaminated cage.

As soon as his feet were out of that damn door, Troy let out a heavy swoosh of air that he hadn't realize he'd been holding and took a whiff of the semi-clean, odour-infested environment along the corridors.

Nevertheless, finally, he felt free.

Well, temporarily.

**Got a secret  
****Can you keep it?  
****Swear this one you'll save  
****Better lock it, in your pocket  
****Taking this one to the grave**

It was so fucking unfortunate that he simply had to have the same algebra class as Chad Danforth, who seemed adamant on making his hatred apparent to the entire universe—or one within a ten-mile radius, because let's face it, nobody's really interested in what goes on in the land of Afro Hair—and had spent the whole period glaring loathsome daggers at the back of Troy's head, it was like a million spears stabbing into the nape of his neck. Troy felt like someone had just acupunctured him with vermin, what with the tension that was currently straining in his muscles.

_Jesus, you would think he was trying to set my hair on fire._

Troy snickered humourlessly, rolling his eyeballs at the sheer absurdity of the situation.

_What is this, fourth grade?_

Once in a while, Troy would get so irritated for being Chad's target board, he would turn in his chair—screw what the teacher said—and glare straight back in equal disdain, no shit. Chad could be an ass all he wanted but Troy wasn't going to let that faze him. He was Troy Bolton, damnit, and he wasn't going to tolerate Chad Stinking Danforth's childishness—for he knew all of the afro-haired boy's weaknesses and he was, after all, the King of East High.

**If I show you then  
****I know you  
****Won't tell what I said  
****Cause two can keep a secret  
****If one of them is dead…**

Their stare-down would last for about five minutes, tops, until Chad would glance away in temporal defeat, and Troy knew full well that he reigned supreme in their little battle for dominance. It was a sick little game, so much so that Troy was already growing tired of it. Besides, he didn't do games. Those minor victories were satisfying—kind of, to say the least—but somehow Troy felt that it was all just a beginning. Politics wasn't his strongest suit, but he knew the other boy too well. Chad wouldn't see an opportunity to rule and not seize it at any chance he could.

_Which guy is complete without his ego?_

Chad Danforth was no exception.

_Stupid, stupid bastard._

Troy wasn't even aware of where he was heading, only that subconsciously his legs had brought him over to a trademark hot pink locker down the hallway—only thing, though, is that the blonde beauty who owned it wasn't there yet—and it surprised him for she rather spent quite a lot of her time being seen by the public. He decided to wait, scorning at passer-bys who were giving him odd, incredulous are-you-fucking-out-of-your-mind looks. It didn't take him long before his thoughts wandered off again, frowning as he replayed the various unpleasant moments that had happened not too long ago.

"Troy?"

He snapped out of his reverie upon hearing her unmistakable voice to see a slightly concerned Sharpay Evans staring up at him with those wide doe-like eyes, and his blackened features immediately lit up.

"Hey, Shar!"

"What are you doing at my locker?" she asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans, Troy tried to appear casual—and not the giddy, hormonal-imbalanced teenager he felt inside. "Oh, you know, just waiting for you," he babbled idiotically, inwardly wincing at how awkward and dumb he sounded. It was something he shamefully had absolutely no control over. After that disastrous episode with Chad, being with Sharpay was like a reviving God-given breath of fresh air, as though he'd died and was being resuscitated by Aphrodite herself.

A small grin tugged at the corner of her lips. "Why?"

"Well, so that I can ask you if you'd mind me joining you for lunch?"

_You're retarded, Bolton_, he thought to himself. _Effing retarded._

"Sure," she replied, hugging a thick ring binder—pink in colour, no less—close to her chest. "I could use your less-than-thrilling company, but I have this updated script to review and approve by the end of the day. Are you okay with that?"

The ease in her tone soothed his nerves as Troy took the cue—growing more confident by the moment—and held her free hand in his, intertwining his fingers with her dainty ones. He knew that the situation was delicate with Sharpay—no matter how badly he wanted to just slam her against the wall and take her right there and then every time he so much as touch her—and he didn't want to jeopardize whatever progress he'd made with her. He would've just left it at that but the need for skin contact was too great to ignore—and he breathed on the privilege she's given him—so he leaned in and chastely kissed her temple.

"I'm okay as long as you're with me."

She let out a chuckle. "Your cheese factor just went up two notches, Mr. Suave," she teased. "Keep it up and you'll have enough one-liners to write a book."

Troy laughed—the first true laugh he had all day—and reveled at the blithe in which she had induced. "You're so sexy when you're witty."

"Don't you wish you could just ravage me right now?" she quipped, kittenishly pouting her luscious lips.

**Look into my eyes  
****Now you're getting sleepy  
****Are you hypnotized  
****By secrets that you're keeping?  
****I know what you're keeping  
****I know what you're keeping**

He felt the undeniable tent starting to pitch in his pants, and instantly knew that he was fucked. "More than anything," he drawled out.

The fiery lust that clouded over her hazel eyes circled her irises like burning flames, and he saw her gaze flicker down to his mouth for one split second before she swallowed hard and looked away. Clearing her throat, she choked out, "we should—erm, lunch—"

"Yeah," he muttered. Like a somnambulist, he led them to the cafeteria, all the while thinking of complicated math equations to sedate the painfully aroused bulge between his legs.

He was so focused; in fact, he almost didn't notice the stunned expressions, followed by the rapid whispers and amused snickers that they were receiving.

Almost.

_Unbelievable_, he thought with a shake of his head. _People just can't mind their own fucking business, can they?_

Sneaking a glance over at Sharpay, Troy realized how she appeared so calm and unaffected, like somehow she didn't exist in the same dimension he was. She wore a mask of indifference, and to anybody else she was still the cold-hearted Ice Queen, but in their nearness Troy could detect a semblance of a genuinely happy smile tugging at the corners of her lips and a devilish glint in her dazzling almond-shaped eyes.

The cool exterior, the fire below.

Just the way he loved her.

Troy still had her hand safely cocooned in his bigger ones and it felt like the most natural thing on the planet—how they fit so perfectly with each other even though technically they weren't together—and he knew it was going to take more than sweet couple-like gestures to win her over.

"Why don't you go pick a table while I go grab us some food?" he suggested after they'd entered the cafeteria and stood in the middle of the room for a good five seconds, fully aware of the sudden drop in volume and the undivided attention he and Sharpay were getting. She only nodded in agreement—as unnerved as always—and he proceeded to ask her, "what would you like?"

"Just a regular salad would do," she replied, reaching into her bag for some money only to be stopped by his gentle hand on her wrist.

"It's okay," he told her. "I've got it."

She gave him another one of her heart-fluttering smiles, and he figured he wouldn't mind paying for more of her meals just to keep receiving them. "Thanks, Troy," she said before walking off in search of a vacant table for the two of them.

He stared after her for a couple of beats; appreciating how her hips swayed libidinously with each measured step she took, strutting down the aisle like a seasoned super model owning the runway. If someone hadn't accidentally bumped into him, Troy would probably have stood there for an hour or so, but then he remembered about their lunch and hustled over to make a beeline for the counter. After loading his tray with the necessary food items and paying for them at the cashier, Troy did a brief scan of the cafeteria and almost instantly spotted her radiant golden blonde hair at a circular table at the far end of the room. He assumed that Sharpay wanted to take some attention off of them for a whole, although from where she sat, it was overlooking the entire place. It made her all the more noticeable, but perhaps that was deliberate on her part. Smirking, Troy headed over and settled down next to her. He was amused when he saw that Sharpay was already diligently flipping through the script and scribbling down side notes with a pink-inked pen.

"Your lunch, ma'am," he teased, plopping the bowl of freshly chopped vegetables in front of her, effectively halting her work.

Sharpay chuckled and placed her pen down onto the table. "Thank you, kind sir," she returned as she lifted the plastic lid and began mixing the healthy concoction with a fork and spoon.

As Troy started unwrapping his ham and turkey sandwich, he wondered if that salad alone was enough to fill her up when he suddenly realized something he'd forgotten in his haste to rejoin her company.

"Shoots, I forgot the napkins."

"Oh, no worries, I have—"

"No, it's alright," he insisted, already getting up from his chair. "I'll go get it."

Troy turned around and froze when he came face-to-face with the obnoxious Chad Danforth with his two signature female escorts gloriously flanking his sides. Instinctively—because certain bodily reactions he couldn't control—Troy wrinkled his nose in contempt. Personally, he was fucking sick of seeing their faces, stalking him like the plague that wouldn't take a piss—like some sort of twisted threesome—it made his insides curl with revolt. His gaze landed upon Gabriella, and the thick black eyeliner and distastefully clashing outfits were back.

_Changed my ass_, Troy thought, smirking.

"Watch where you're going, you piece of shit," Chad snarled, bringing their noses merely inches away, dark eyes blazing with fury. "Now move so that I don't have to breathe your Trash Hole Park-infested air."

Insulting him was one thing, but insulting Sharpay was another.

And something inside Troy snapped.

Furiously, he palmed the other guy's chest and roughly shoved him away. "What's your fucking problem, Danforth?" he lashed out, fuming.

"You screwing this bitch, Bolton," Chad spat back, pointing his digit at Sharpay.

**Got a secret  
****Can you keep it?  
****Swear this one you'll save  
****Better lock it, in your pocket  
****Taking this one to the grave**

"Fuck you!" Troy was about to lunge forward and attack the other basketball player again when a hard grasp on his biceps restrained him.

"Leave it, Troy," she murmured lowly so that only he could hear. "He's not worth it."

Troy opened his mouth to speak but Chad had butted in. "Stay out of this, you whore!"

Sharpay moved her head so abruptly her curls whipped the side of Troy's face, her bright hazel eyes darkening as she glared at the dark-skinned boy, her icy demeanor in place. "I said leave it," she snapped. "What is wrong with you?"

"Me?" Chad sputtered, and his nose flared in rage.

"Apologise to her, Danforth," Troy sternly demanded. "Now!"

"I don't work for you, Troy," the other guy shot back, completely peeved to be called out in front of the entire school for something he wasn't sorry about. "You're such a weak bastard, you know that? Don't you see what she's doing to you?"

"She's doing nothing," Troy hissed back bitterly, annoyed that Chad was still spinning the same story time and again. "I make my own decisions, at my own expenses and you don't get to judge me, or Sharpay for that matter. It's none of your fucking business."

**If I show you then  
****I know you  
****Won't tell what I said  
****Cause two can keep a secret  
****If one of the****m is dead…**

"You pushed me—your childhood best friend—away because of her," Chad bellowed, loud enough for his voice to echo round the cafeteria, and Troy was suddenly aware of the ringing silence but he was too frenzied to care. "After all that we've been through, Troy. What happened to bros before hoes?"

"It died the day you were too hypocritical to be supportive," Troy retorted.

Chad took an intimidating step forward. "Do you even remember what she'd done to you before? All the scheming and sabotaging?"

"It was all a game," Troy replied evenly, even though he had no clue what he was saying. "I've moved past that, Danforth, and I think you should too."

"Moved past that?" Chad parroted, scowling at the idea. "The only _thing_ that should move here is that witch."

"I'm right here," Sharpay snarled menacingly, her fingers still firmly wrapped around Troy's arm. "If you even have the dick to say it to my face."

"Bitch!" Taylor exclaimed, appalled at the sudden verbal onslaught to her boyfriend.

The basketball captain was quick to defend his beloved blonde actress. "Shut it, McKessie, I'm sure you can service your boyfriend better with your mouth."

Her mouth hung open in offense.

"Take that back!" Chad barked, harshly jabbing a finger into the brunette's chest.

Troy didn't appreciate being poked at, so he swatted Chad's hand away, igniting another burst of fury as the hatred exploded out of the afro-haired dude, and in retaliation pushed his captain away.

There was a gasp from Gabriella.

"Danforth!" Sharpay reprimanded, wedging herself in between the two boys while she held her hands out to create some space. "That's enough!"

"Did I hit a nerve, small boy?" Troy taunted with a smirk.

"You fucking take that back!"

"Troy, enough," Sharpay said grimly. "Leave it."

"Yeah, Troy," Chad sneered. "Listen to your whore."

"Asshole!" Troy launched himself at his ex-best friend, accidentally nudging Sharpay in the ribs.

"Ow!" she winced.

"Shit!" he cursed under his breath, automatically attending to her, the fight with Chad instantly forgotten. Carefully, he cupped her face. "Shar, I'm so sorry," he apologized, frantically examining the injured spot. "I didn't mean to—"

All of a sudden he was being knocked away from her, caught off guard and staggering on his feet. Slightly stunned, Troy was ready to holler at the culprit when her cry stopped him.

"Ryan!"

"Get away from her, Bolton!"

Troy regained his equilibrium in time to see Sharpay whacking the back of her twin brother's head, simultaneously toppling over the flat cap that was sitting snugly on top of it. The Evans surely were stronger than they looked.

"Damnit, Shar!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she shrieked, making wild gestures with her hands. It was a sight too cute to miss, and Troy couldn't help the ridiculous grin that spread over his lips. "All of you! You're above all that, Ryan, and you know it!"

"He hit you, sis," the _Jazz Square_ said, equally dramatic, and then aimed his glare at Troy. "What are you smiling at, you dickweed?"

"It wasn't on purpose—" Sharpay started.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing here, Evans?" Chad wondered out loud, confusion plastered on his face. "The fag table is at the other end of the cafeteria. While you're at it, take your whoring sister with you."

"Save your brain cells for something that actually matters, Danforth," Ryan riposted dismissively. "Your juvenile comments are getting tired."

"Stay out of this, Ryan," Sharpay sniped back, getting increasingly irritated.

"Are you just going to stand there and let him insult you like that?" her brother addressed in disbelief.

"No, but—"

"He called you a ho!"

"He called you a fag."

"You think that's funny, Bolton?" Ryan snapped back at Troy's sarcastic remark. "I've told you countless times to stay the hell away from my sister—"

"She doesn't answer to you," Troy pointed out defensively.

"I'm her brother—"

"Regardless, you don't own her and I simply don't give a damn what you think about me."

The group fell into a momentary lull, and then Troy felt the warm, gentle pressure of Sharpay's hand on his shoulder as she rubbed soothing circles on the fabric of his shirt. No matter how calming the motion was, her touch still managed to awaken every nerve ending in his body.

"Maybe we should leave, Troy," she quietly suggested. It was something she had been trying to get across to him right from the beginning. The last thing they both needed was to create a scene and stir an even bigger story for everyone to talk about.

**You swore you'd never tell…  
****You swore you'd never tell…**

"No, Evans, why don't you stay for a bit?" Chad requested in with a devious leer. "We're all just getting started."

"I'm in no mood to deal with your games, Danforth," Sharpay sassily informed him, all traces of composure trailing away from her.

Somehow, it only managed to spur him on as he pulled a mocking pout and tilted his head condescendingly. "Aww, PayPay doesn't want to play today?" he cooed in a squeaky voice. "It's quite a shame because you're such a splendid entertainment. Tell me, what names did Troy call you when he screwed you against the wall?"

_Damn, the wall? _Troy wondered. _Did that even happen?_

"You son of a bitch!" she seethed, her intensified hazel eyes narrowing into slits.

"No, Sharpay, that's you," Chad threw back. "At least my biological mum didn't abandon me in the dumps."

**You swore you'd never tell…  
****You swore you'd never tell…**

"_Motherfucking_ asshole!"

Troy was quick to grab onto her waist and hold her back before she could launch herself at that damned nitwit and create some serious physical damage. He felt the rise and fall of her chest as she heaved in animosity, and Troy saw the panic that flashed across Chad's face for a split second before it was concealed with a cocky victorious grin.

_Shit,_ he thought.

"Hey!" Ryan said indignantly. "That's private!"

Chad shook his head, his wiry hair vibrating like an alarm clock. "I don't think so," he sniggered, eyeing Troy with amusement. "Right, Bolton?"

Both the Evans twins pivoted round to face him, but all he saw was the utter betrayal in Sharpay's golden fiery orbs as she wrenched herself free from his grip, backing away like he was acid. Troy swallowed hard, the guilt overcoming his person in huge waves while he desperately struggle to form coherent words that he knew wouldn't make any difference at that point of time. The truth was already out.

"I'm so sorry, Shar—" was all he managed out before she up and fled the scene.

* * *

Ryan watched as Troy Bolton ran after his sister. The overprotective sibling side of him wanted to go after that lunkhead basketball player and pummel him to the ground for the hurt that he'd caused Sharpay, but the other—more compassionate—side of him felt that they deserved to sort this out by themselves. Besides, he'd already warned her once about Troy, so the last thing she needed was to hear him say 'I told you so'. In fact, Ryan was hoping more than anything she'd actually come to her senses this time round and send Troy straight down to the gates of hell.

"Is that true, Evans?"

**Got a secret  
****Can you keep it?  
****Swear this one you'll save  
****Better lock it, in your pocket  
****Taking this one to the grave**

He turned to look at the remaining trio standing before him. "Is what true, Danforth?"

"You two being adopted and all?" Chad clarified, a hint of sympathy in his otherwise obnoxious tone of voice.

"You're a total douche, do you know that?"

"So it's true, then?"

"Fuck off, Chad," Ryan berated. "You don't know a damn thing about our lives, so I suggest you take your pretty little posse and go play dress up somewhere else."

"Don't need to get all up in your panties, Ryan," Chad huffed patronizingly. "You know there's nothing to be shy about. None of our families are perfect."

_Fucking asshole._

"Sure, considering you screwed Tim Mitchel's ass at the summer kick-back last year," Ryan shot back. "Welcome to the dark side, Danforth."

**If I show you then  
****I know you  
****Won't tell what I said  
****Cause two can keep a secret  
****If one of them is dead…**

"You what?" Taylor blurted out, horrified.

"What? I didn't—shut up, Evans, you don't know what you're talking about!" Chad sputtered hysterically.

"I know what I see," Ryan gave him a wink.

"You don't know anything!"

"So do you. Tim Mitchel was sent to a Catholic school straight after to repent for his…sins."

"Was that what it was about?" Taylor enquired, the hesitation in her words indicating that she really didn't want to know.

"That's bullshit, Taylor, stop believing him," Chad told his girlfriend.

"You can deny it all you want, but—"

"I'm not listening to you any longer, Evans," the other boy spat out, and then stormed off with Taylor in tow, leaving Gabriella behind.

"Why are you still here?" Ryan asked her, brows furrowing darkly.

**Got a secret  
****Can you keep it?  
****Swear this one you'll save  
****Better lock it, in your pocket  
****Taking this one to the grave**

She was giving him a look—a manipulative, scheming look—which he instantly recognized from years of experience handling his twin sister. Sharpay may not have created manipulation but she sure as hell has mastered it. He knew when a brilliant plan was hatched, or when things were going her way, or when she wanted something, and it was terrifying that this brunette was able to figure it out.

_Freaking math genius._

"What do you want, Montez?"

"I've got a proposition for you," she informed him, sporting a devious grin on her rouge lips, jet-black hair tumbling over her shoulders like pin-straight needles. Frankly, it was disturbing—even for a performer. "It's about Troy and Sharpay."

Intrigued, Ryan arched an eyebrow. "Keep going."

"You don't want him anywhere your dear sister and I want him back," she said, her coffee-coloured eyes blazing as she paused to take a seat on the empty chair Troy had occupied before. She glanced down at the tray of untouched food and wrinkled her nose before turning to face him once again. "What do you say if I tell you that I have a plan to tear them apart?"

"How do I know this isn't some plot to ruin my sister?" he questioned skeptically.

"The only thing your sister has right now is my ex-boyfriend, and I want him back."

"I wasn't born yesterday, Montez," he smirked. "You'd do anything to get Troy back, and I'm pretty sure Sharpay be damned. You'd pull, push, scratch and claw for your man, but I love my sister and I'm not going to be on something that will potentially ruin her life."

Gabriella snickered in response, one so wickedly bitchy he had to wonder where it all came from. Even his twin sibling didn't possess such evil and demonic thoughts.

"Do I look like a fucking moron to you?" she hissed, offended. "Do you think that if I wanted to destroy Sharpay I could've done that myself?"

He nodded. "Point taken."

"This isn't about her at all, Ryan. I just want her to leave him, and then have him running back to me. You can play the good old brother and be there for her, and the both of you can return to being Ryan and Sharpay again like all this never happened."

"Are you sure this isn't some ploy for revenge?"

Frustrated, Gabriella slammed her hand onto the tabletop. "Do you or do you not want him away from your sister?" she fumed.

He really didn't seem to have a choice in this, and Gabriella looked like she really had a plan already thought out. Being a genius that she was—evil or not—Ryan had no doubt she'd gone over every little detail, but she was right. Troy had been nothing but a pest to the siblings' relationship and Ryan couldn't wait to just get rid of him but he wouldn't do anything if it were going to endanger Sharpay in any way. All this time, he'd only threatened Troy and nothing else—well, nothing serious that could lend either one of them in jail or a hospital.

_But what if I get caught?_ he thought. _Shar would hate me for the rest of my life!_

The nagging voice inside his head kept telling him that all he was trying to do was look out for the better of his sister, and nothing more. It was his job to protect her from anything or anybody that would potentially hurt her—physically or emotionally—for he knew she damn well didn't need those in her life—not at this crucial time, at least—and if plotting with the she-devil was what it would take to do that, then by all means he was going to do it.

"Alright," he agreed at last, stretching out a hand towards her. "But if this gets out of hand, I'm out of the deal."

**If I show you then  
****I know you  
****Won't tell what I said  
****Cause two can keep a secret  
****If one of them is dead…**

They shook on it, and the smirk she wore grew larger. "I'm not stupid, Ryan. I've got Ivy League schools begging to accept me and there's no way I'm going to jeopardize that."

* * *

It was excruciating, like a million blades piercing through her chest, puncturing open wounds that were yet to heal, if they ever will. The nonexistent hand that was constricting her heart refused to let go, and yet her sharp nails—digging deep into her porcelain skin—did nothing to suppress the anguish. One hand braced against the wall, she wielded herself to breathe—inhaling and exhaling through the pain—every movement felt like shards of glass stabbing from inside her lungs.

Suffocating, she began to wheeze and cough.

She should be used to it by now—numb from it all—but that didn't mean it always got easier. If anything, it kept getting harder.

"Shar! Sharpay!"

Glancing over her shoulder in panic, she caught a flash of Troy's shaggy brown hair and knew that her cover was about to be blown. Still gasping for air, she grappled for what remains of strength she had and slipped into the nearest female toilet. She couldn't deal with him yet. Her breaths were coming in short wet rasps as she did all she could to gulp as much oxygen as possible. She was fast losing the sensation in her legs, her blood not circulating fast enough for her brain to comprehend a single thought. Her vision was blurring and she was rapidly blinking her watery eyes, knowing that she couldn't afford to pass out again.

She felt like she'd swallowed the sun, as though solar flares were radiating from deep within her core with sandpaper coursing against her flesh with every hack. Propping her hand on the countertop, she leaned over the sink and hung her head low, her blonde waves curtaining her reddened face. The familiar taste of metallic bile was already building up at the back of her tongue.

And then she saw it.

Those red droplets were a stark contrast to the white ceramic.

A harsh truth.

Just then she heard the sliding of a lock and the door to a nearby stall flew open, the reflection in the mirror revealed a terrified and very much worried-looking Kelsi Nielsen. Instantly, Sharpay turned on the faucet and allowed the running water to drain away the evidence while she cleaned the corner of her lips with a clumsy swipe of her hand.

**Got a secret  
****Can you keep it?  
****Swear this one you'll save  
****Better lock it, in your pocket  
****Taking this one to the grave**

The bespectacled girl stood frozen in the cubicle, her already pale complexion bridging on a sheet of white, but her gaze never left the tainted sink.

_Shit._

"Sharpay, are you—"

"Don't even," she growled, the iciness in her voice was frostbiting as her fiery bronze eyes flashed warningly at the musician. "If you breathe a word of this to anyone—"

"I—I won't," Kelsi stammered fearfully, knowing the wrath that could be brought upon her. "I promise."

"Not even to Ryan."

Kelsi bobbed her head timorously.

"Or Mrs. Darbus," Sharpay added for good measure, not wanting to leave any loopholes.

"Yeah—yes, Shar."

And then with a final rinse and wipe of her hands, Sharpay exited the lavatory.

**If I show you then  
****I know you  
****Won't tell what I said  
****Cause two can keep a secret  
****If one of them is dead…**

"Shar?"

_Crap._

There he was—like a lost little boy, leaning his weight against the wall, one leg propped up with head slightly cast downwards. His shoulders were hunched forward, his hands jammed into the pockets of his pants, and he looked like a hanging display on the Wall of Shame. The unleashed force of his wide-set sapphire eyes rendered her suddenly immobile. It was shocking, that look upon his roguishly handsome face—that despair and fear running across his glazed blue orbs—the intensity unlike anything she'd experienced before. They had been through an emotional whirl-wind roller coaster ride, but never had she seen him so broken, so remorseful.

So vulnerable.

And her heart ached for him.

Yet, it didn't mean she was just going to forgive and forget.

That one secret could potentially end her social life and threaten to kick her to the bottom of the hierarchy—the one she'd built so painstakingly—and it was all because of him.

"Hey, are you alright?" he softly murmured, concerned, but Sharpay purposely chose to ignore it.

"I can't believe you told him, Troy, I trusted you." Her voice was clipped and harsh, letting him know that she hadn't let the issue slide. She was still fucking pissed about the situation.

Troy averted his gaze to the floor, and then slowly made his way to her, each step deliberate and dragged out like he had dumbbells tied to his ankles—the walk of a locked-down prisoner—and even though she was furious, all she wanted to do was hug him, but no, she wouldn't allow that. He had clearly crossed the line, and he was going to answer to it. Brows furrowed, she planted a hand on her hip, shifting her weight on one leg.

"I just need to know if you're okay," he pressed on. "Look, I heard you in there—"

"_What_ did you hear?" she lashed out.

"You, and it sounded like that day in the car…"

Sharpay didn't need to be reminded of that, but she didn't want to deal with all his questions either, so she waved it off nonchalantly. "It's nothing, Troy."

He looked skeptical. "Are you sure? It doesn't sound like nothing—"

"Just leave it, I'm fine."

"I don't think—"

"Damnit, I said I'm fine!"

**Got a secret  
****Can you keep it?  
****Swear this one you'll save  
****Better lock it, in your pocket  
****Taking this one to the grave**

A sudden cold chill hung in the air like frozen icicles as she witnessed the flicker of hurt in his ocean-blue eyes.

"Oh!"

Both teenagers tore their gazes away to face the new intrusion.

"Kelsi," Sharpay addressed curtly, her glare blazing with warning.

The poor girl looked like a deer caught in the headlights as she shoved her glasses further up the bridge of her nose, looking awkward standing by the washroom door. "Um, hey, Sharpay…Troy."

The basketball player offered a weak smile.

There was a pregnant pause where the three of them just stood there, nodding to a nonexistent conversation, until Sharpay started realizing how stupid the whole situation seemed. She broke the silence with an obnoxious huff, crossing her arms across her chest to squint at the brunette in front of her. "Why are you still here?" she snottily asked, her ultimate bitch mode switched back on.

"Er…I—I—"

Sharpay arched an eyebrow impatiently, a silent warning that Kelsi immediately picked up on as a signal to basically leave them the fuck alone, considering Troy looked like a sappy mess and the blonde actress wasn't in a generous mood to explain anything—especially not to her production assistant—about their private affairs.

"I guess I should, yeah—go, you know—"

The blonde didn't wait for the other girl to finish. "Bye."

After a polite nod to Troy, Kelsi scampered off and disappeared round the corner.

"You scared her off," he chuckled in an attempt at humour, only to have it fall flat when she directed her piercing stare at him.

"Get lost, Bolton, I'm done with you."

"No wait!" he blurted out, grasping her wrist. "Look, I'm sorry."

**If I show you then  
****I know you  
****Won't tell what I said  
****Cause two can keep a secret  
****If one of them is dead…**

She wrenched herself free of his grip and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I didn't—it wasn't like—" he grappled to find for the right words, and Sharpay could see the stress building up, adding to the tension that was already present in his muscles. He was struggling, his lips parting and pressing to form coherent sentences, but he couldn't make a peep. Growing frustrated with himself, Troy ran a palm down his face, and took a staggering deep breath for composure as she patiently waited for his explanation. "It was some time back, and we weren't, you know, like this," he said, gesturing between them. "I know I promised not to tell anyone, but I didn't think he'd say anything, I swear. I thought I could trust him, you know, he's my best friend."

Troy paused to shrug, a humorless laugh escaping his throat. "God, he was being such an ass I just had to do something. He kept saying all these bad stuff about you being a bitch, and so I felt that if I told him about you, he'd understand and lay off, which obviously he was too much of a dick to do. Chad didn't believe a word I said, and then he started being a jerk about it…" he trailed off, running his fingers through his shaggy hair. "Fuck, I really didn't think—shit, Shar, I really didn't—he's such a bastard!"

"What am I going to do now, Troy? My reputation is ruined," she fumed, her pitch heightening. "The whole school—"

"They don't know anything yet," he cut in, determination in his eyes. "For all they care, Chad's probably just sprouting rubbish as usual. He doesn't have any concrete evidence so we can still do damage control."

Sharpay scoffed. "We?"

He sighed. "Okay, look, I know this is my fault, so let me make it up to you."

Arching a perfectly-sculpted eyebrow, she asked, "how?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "I'll kick Chad's ass or something, whatever, but I'll deal with this, alright?"

She pondered over it for a moment, conjuring a hundred and one scenarios in her head that Troy Bolton might actually do to his ex-best friend. Sure, Troy could fend for himself, but she didn't think he would do much damage—at least not one that would get him expelled from school, but she was fine with it. All she needed was a fix in her social status, and whatever Troy was going to do, she figured it would create a much larger impact to the majority of the student body. He could deny the so-called 'rumour' and nobody would question his statement. They would take his word for it without batting an eyelash.

"Fine, but if you screw this up, you can bet I'll fucking kick _your_ scrawny little ass, Bolton."

"Scrawny little ass?" he repeated incredulously. "Really?"

Sharpay rolled her eyes, spun on her heels and sauntered off.

**Cause two can keep a secret  
****If one of them is…  
****Dead**

* * *

**A/N:** So, the plot thickens…dum dum dum…LOL! I know, truthfully, I'm glad that this story is moving along rather decently. More characters are getting involved and truths are uncovered and hidden, and I'm loving the ride so far. What do you guys think?

The line "The cool exterior, the fire below" is taken from Gossip Girl, which by the way, if you haven't realized, does not belong to me whatsoever. Just for your info, Chuck said this to Blair in one of the episodes in season 2 (which is somewhat my favourite season ever!). Can't wait for the new season to air in September!

**CharminglyShar****: **Hi there! Okay, so I know I updated the previous chapter faster than I updated this chapter, but I hope you're still happy with it :D I'm flattered that my story's become your guilty pleasure, 'cause I know I have a ton of fanfic guilty pleasures as well…and they always seem to get better! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing (and feeding my ego with your wonderful comments)! Hope you've enjoyed reading this chapter! Let me know what you think, yeah?

**Neila_cross:** Yay! Analysis time! I just love reading them! I totally agree with you that Sharpay's falling for Troy's undeniably boyish charms (like, finally!) even though she's still thinking if she's willing to allow herself to fully commit to her feelings towards him. She's unsure about it, because everytime she thinks she's figured it out, Troy does some petty little thing that sort of loses the momentum, and so he's always leaving her on the fence. Nevertheless, we'll see what she'll do this time round :P Yes, Gabriella's back and more! I like that she's creating negative drama. It makes things interesting, right? Hope you like this update! Lots of hugs!

**62toasters62:** Hello! Let me tell you that I really appreciate you review, and I'd like to thank you for being so patient all the time and constantly reading my updates :D I'd like to think of chapter 26 as a 'calm before the storm', would you think so? And yes, I agree that Gabriella's being a creep when she sneaked up into Troy's room, but that just says more about her character and how I totally despise her. LOL! I'm glad to know that my updates put a smile on your face…it makes ME happy to know that people like what I write! Hope this chapter made you smile!

**TheDude47:** Hi there! Firstly, thank you so much for reading and then finding my story worthy enough to review! I really appreciate your awesome comments and it's always an amazing feeling to know that I've gained a new reader (who reviews!) :D Hope you've liked this update!

Song used — "Secrets" by The Pierces


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: **Right, so I think my creative juices are flowing this past week because I've been writing almost everyday after I get home from work. However, sadly, I've only received one review for my previous chapter. Was it that bad? Well, even if it was, could you guys just drop a review anyway and go like "you're shit" and I'll be fine with that, seriously. Either way, a shout out to TheDude47! Thank you for reviewing! I totally appreciate it!

And now for the story…

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 28**

By the time the bell rang at the end of last period, all Sharpay wanted to do was get the hell out of that damn school. After that unfortunate ordeal during lunch, she'd been on high alert. Rumours and accusations were still ringing in her ears from when she overheard them during and in between classes. It was suffocating and extremely irritating. She hated having to put up another layer of wall over the suit of armour she already had on, but now she was more cautious than ever—refusing to allow herself to let her guard down for even one second. As hard as she tried to ignore the incessant whispers all around her, she was finding the effort incredible exhausting.

So she just soaked it in.

The news about her and Ryan being adopted quickly spread like wildfire. Everybody was still debating if Chad's declaration had been true or merely a hoax. There were also talks of students speculating if she and Ryan were actual biological twins. She had even overheard someone mentioning that she was supposedly a born brunette and had put lemon juice in her hair just so nobody would suspect that they weren't related.

Sharpay rolled her eyes.

_Just goes to show how fucking stupid these people are_.

Nobody had the nerve to come right out and ask her about it so far, and for that she was thankful. Then again, she wondered if anybody in the entire fucking school had a semblance of a backbone or a set of balls to gain the truth instead of spreading gross lies.

**Seems like I was walking in the wrong direction  
****I barely recognize my own reflection, no  
****Scared of love but scared of life alone**

_Oh well_, she thought as she strutted out of the classroom and down the hallway towards her locker. _I am the Ice Queen, anyway._

The whole day had been a mother-effing bitch, and all she wanted was a safe haven out. Sharpay popped open her locker, quickly realizing that she needed a break from all of it.

From the judgmental stares; from the solid concrete walls; from the hypocritical criticisms.

From Chad Danforth and his two whores.

From the _Jazz Square_.

From Troy Bolton.

Whipping her phone out of her pocket, she tapped on the speed dial and called the one person she knew who hadn't once failed to provide her with the effortless sense of escape and comfort.

"Hey, Shar."

He answered after three rings and her face instantly lit up at the sound of his voice on the other end of the line—that soothing and carefree lining that coated every word—and how just hearing him speak could bring a smile on her face. Dan Patch had a way with her like nobody ever had—one that nobody would probably understand—and it was why she loved her best friend so much.

He made everything easier.

Better.

With a giddy sigh, she replied, "hey, Dan."

"What's up, babe?" he asked. "You okay?"

"Yeah…" she began, but then stopped herself, well aware that the other guy already knew her better than herself, and would most definitely see—or rather hear—through her lie. "Well, no. Go get Trista, drop by my place and help me grab my gear, pronto. I'll meet you guys at Pure Shores."

"Wow, someone's up for a surf," he commented in a teasing fashion.

Sharpay pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. "It's been a long day," she murmured,

Dan snickered through the receiver but before he could offer a clever-witted remark, she heard some shuffling, like the ruffling of papers. "What are you doing?" she questioned, forehead creased.

"Orange just peed on my thesis!" he sputtered out, letting out a string of curses in his wake as he moved more stuff around, all the while keeping his ears on the phone.

The burst of laughter was the first truly heartfelt one she had that day as she pictured Dan's five-month-old ginger-coloured kitten mewling and scratching innocently as it took a whazz on his homework. Sharpay also knew that Dan preferred writing his essays down on paper the old-fashioned way instead of leaping into the twenty-first century and typing them down in a computer. He kept insisting that it gave his work a personal touch, but she was convinced that he couldn't start up his laptop and fire up the printer even if his life depended on it. It took him a week to figure out how his cellular worked.

"Shit, I gotta go clean this mess up before my old lady gets home," he grumbled. "I'll see you later, Shar. Be careful, alright? Love you!"

"Love you too," she chimed in with a chuckle. "Oh, wait! Grab some chocolates for me, will you?"

The line had already gone dead. Sharpay made a face as she held her phone away from her ear and glanced down at the blank screen, wondering if he'd even heard her last request. She reckoned he was more preoccupied attending to his beloved cat and probably didn't. Huffing, she tossed her phone into her bag, slammed her locker door shut and headed out of the main door, relieved that she didn't have to pass by the detention room. Besides, the whole point of this escape was to take her mind off that issue anyway, and it certainly wouldn't be possible of she couldn't avoid a certain basketball captain.

Sharpay headed towards her convertible, the distant high-pitched voices of the East High cheerleaders practicing over by the football field echoing across the school compound. She smirked at the image of skinny, model-aspiring girls in pleated colour-coded skirts and shells, jumping up and down waving streams of pom poms when in reality, she probably had more spirit and enthusiasm than the whole squad combined. Sliding into the car, she slipped on her designer sunglasses and drove out of the school gates. She took her time coasting down the highway, knowing fairly well that she'd most likely be the first one to arrive.

And she was right.

Dan's white Silverado rolled into the empty parking lot next to hers half an hour later with her baby blue thruster sticking out of the back of his pickup, rap music blasting out of the speakers. Sharpay rolled her hazel eyes and almost grunted at the irony, but nonetheless she couldn't stop her grin and got out to greet her two most trusted friends.

"Miss me that much already, Shar?" Dan waggled his eyebrows suggestively as he hopped out of the driver's seat, extending his arms out for her.

"Yeah, sure, Dan Patch," she shot back sweetly with a somewhat underlying sarcasm, pretending to head for him, but then switched at the very last second to skip over to Trista, hugging her instead.

"Hey, Tris!" Sharpay greeted cheerfully in a singsong way, giggling when the other girl played along, lifting her up and spinning her around, both friends squealing.

"Hey yourself, Shar," Trista chortled as she set the blonde actress back on her feet. "Nice sex hair, by the way," she added, winking impishly, her piercing glinting in the sunlight.

Sharpay stuck her tongue out, and then quickly tried to smooth her hair down—a feeble effort, considering the sea breeze that had picked up—when Dan came over, pouting childishly at being rejected earlier. Trista sniggered, then reached out to ruffle his already tousled hair. He swatted her hand away and dodged out of reach.

"So, what's possessed you to want to go surfing today?" he asked, his expression still mildly sour. "Since you've already made it clear you're obviously not here to see me and my amazing abs."

Surely it was meant as a snarky retort, but the hint of curiosity in his tone made every word charming and innocent. "Oh, don't be a baby," Sharpay cooed, gently stroking his stubbly cheek. She then shifted her hand down and patted his rock solid six packs, which she knew he was so proud of. "You know you look good."

She was totally avoiding the subject. He knew it, and he didn't like it. Trista snorted in an unlady-like manner—one that Dan clearly did not appreciate—and Sharpay lightly slapped her ass. Unfortunately Trista's ignorance only served to fuel her mocking as she burst out in cackles. Sharpay offered Dan a sympathetic smile, but he just shook his head, frowning.

"Let's just do this, already," he mumbled, turning away to go retrieve his things from his truck.

Raising her eyebrows, Sharpay glanced over at Trista—who had ceased laughter—and both of them exchanged baffled looks. "Is he okay?"

Shrugging nonchalantly, she said, "I don't know."

Sharpay pondered for a moment, trying to recall if anything was askew since the last time she spoke to him. "He didn't mention anything on the way here?"

"He seemed fine and all, told me Orange peed on his paper," Trista replied, and Sharpay could tell she was trying her best not to smirk.

Sharpay pivoted her neck around and watched at Dan hauled his own longboard from the back of his vehicle with a sullen expression on his handsome features. He was not one to hide his emotions—rather he was really bad at it—and clearly he was upset, about what, she didn't know. However, she was determined to find out.

**Seems I've been playing on the safe side baby  
****Building walls around my heart to save me, oh  
****But it's time for me to let it go**

"Go find us a decent spot, Tris," she told the other girl, nodding towards the beach. "I'll go see what's wrong."

Trista clicked her tongue and gave Sharpay a good luck wave before strutting down the boardwalk towards the sandy shoreline. Sliding her hands into the back pockets of her pants, Sharpay made her way to the brooding guy who was in the midst of pulling her blue fiberglass-coated board from the trunk. Sharpay reached out to lend a hand, even though he probably didn't need it. Together they set the thruster on the ground and leaned it against the side of his pickup.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

Dan didn't even grace her with a smile, but instead continued unloading things and avoided any form of eye contact. Sharpay tucked a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear and cleared her throat.

"Dan?"

"Hmm?"

When he still didn't look up at her, she grabbed his wrist to halt his actions. "Look at me."

Dan hesitated for a little bit, and she could see the clenching and unclenching of his jaw from his side profile. Worriedly, she gave him a gentle squeeze. It had been a really long time since he'd been this tensed, for he was rather an easygoing dude and embraced positivity in everything. Sharpay didn't prod on, allowing him the time to make a decision, and she knew he was doing that because he would hate himself if he were to lose his cool and snap at her. Eventually, his shoulders sagged and his muscles relaxed. Sighing, he perched himself on the edge of the tailgate, still refusing to meet her gaze. Brows furrowed, she took a tentative step forward and stood in between his legs.

"What's wrong, Dan Patch?"

**Yeah, I'm ready to feel now  
****No longer am I afraid of the fall down  
****It must be time to move on now**

His response was instantaneous and defensive. "Nothing."

Dan was horrible at lying as much as she was. They were both so utterly transparent to each other it was frustrating. Nothing ever got away.

"Come on," she coaxed. "I know you, and you don't get upset over something as insignificant as a flippant remark about your amazing abs. This is much more."

**Without the fear of how it might end  
****I guess I'm ready to love again**

There was a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips when she mentioned about his physique, but it quickly disappeared to its forlorn state. "I can't keep having you pushing your problems away, alright," he reluctantly admitted, at last meeting her golden eyes. "It's not fair to me. You can't keep telling me that something's wrong and then not tell me what it is. I'm your best friend, Shar—"

"I will tell you, okay," she cut him off, unsure and confused about his reservations. He usually wasn't this impatient. "I'm meant to tell you, just not straight away. I just—I just need the air right now, and for a moment forget about my problems. Just for a while, Dan, and—"

"Fine, look, I'm—I'm sorry—"

She was now full-on ranting, all worked up and ignoring his attempt to apologise. "You don't just do that to me—"

"I'm sorry, I—"

"You can't, Dan Patch, damn you! I love you, but you can't push me—"

"I'm sorry—"

"You have no idea how much I need you right now—"

Unable to take it any longer, he cupped her porcelain face, effectively stopping her in mid sentence, and then leaned forward so that their foreheads were touching. Taking a deep breath, he repeated, "I'm sorry." His tone was soft and gentle, regretful even. "I didn't mean to push you but you know how much I hate it when you don't tell me anything."

Sharpay could detect the hurt in his voice but despite all that, he was actually more concerned than anything, so she snaked her arms around his neck and rested her chin on his broad shoulder. His hands automatically found their place around her waist.

"I'll tell you later, Dan Patch," she whispered into his ear. "I promise."

He nodded his head, and after placing a chaste kiss on her lower jaw, he pulled away with a ruggedly charismatic grin on his face that she loved so much. It in turn triggered her own smile as she pecked the tip of his nose.

"There's my man," she said. "Come on, let's go before Tris finds some bloke to take home tonight."

"Hang on," Dan interrupted her before she could move, and then pulled out a bar of her favourite chocolate from his pocket.

Her whole face lit up. "I didn't think—"

"I'm your best friend, Shar," he told her, lightly pinching her cheek. "And I heard you over the phone, so you're welcome."

Beaming, she threw her arms around his muscular frame and chuckled. "I love you so much."

"Love you too, little doe."

They gathered their stuff, tucking the boards under their arms and met Trista down by a shaded area on the whitish sandy beach, where the brunette was lazing around admiring the curls rolling in from ocean. Sharpay speared her tri-fin into the sand and did the same for Dan's as he made another trip to the truck to fetch the other girl's gun.

"Did you find out what's wrong with him?" Trista asked, gesturing towards the guy in question.

"Just doesn't like it when I don't tell him things," Sharpay explained, dusting the sand off her hands. "But he didn't mean to push it."

"He cares a lot about you, Sharpay," the other girl told her earnestly. "He'll do anything for you, and he's just insecure about certain things. He doesn't want to lose you."

**Just when we think that love will never find you  
****You runaway but still it's right behind you, oh  
****It's just something that you can't control**

It was a ridiculous assumption, yet the fear struck a chord in her. How could her best friend in the entire world lose her? Sharpay didn't know how to reply to that, so she just occupied herself with rummaging through the duffel bag that her friend had brought for her. "Did you get my bikini or wetsuit?"

"I just dumped both of it in," Trista informed, uncapping a bottle of water and taking a swig. "Not exactly sure which one you'd prefer, but damn, you have one giant ass closet, bitch."

Laughing, Sharpay fished the black wetsuit out of the bag, figuring that she'd have to make do with wearing that over her lingerie—as much as she hated getting her expensive silk bra and panties wet with salt water—since the nearest shower was over by the snack shack. It was rather a long trek up there to the more populated part of the beach. No way was she going through all that effort.

"Oh please," she scoffed. "Don't even pretend like you don't go through my clothes every time you come by. In fact, somehow all of my black outfits would end up mysteriously disappearing whenever you pop by. I can even bet that you have something in your bag now that is mine."

The twitch at the corner of Trista's lips was smug, that rebellious streak shining through like she hadn't even done anything wrong. Sharpay rolled her hazel eyes and then crossed her arms over her torso, taking the hem of her top and casually pulling her clothing over her head.

"Whoa, too much info, Shar!" Dan told her, shielding his eyes with the back of his hand as he clumsily dropped Trista's board onto the sand.

"Hey!" the brunette cried out, appalled at how her prized gun was being manhandled. "Be careful with that!"

Dan flushed with embarrassment; eyes flickering back towards Sharpay's almost half-naked form whilst scrambling for the fallen object, and then blindly jabbed it into the ground. "Er…are you going to just…go out…like that?" he asked, awkwardly gesturing towards her bra-clad chest.

Glaring murderously at him for blatantly ogling her breasts, Sharpay slipped her wetsuit jacket on, and then wordlessly wrapped a towel around her waist so that she could change into her bikini bottoms.

"Stop staring at her, you pervert," Trista snapped, throwing a packet of unopened chips towards the blonde guy. She grinned victoriously when it hit him squarely on the face, jolting him out of his drool fest. Dan sheepishly dropped his gaze, finding a sudden interest in the grains of sand beneath his feet, and fiddling with the unhealthy snack in his hands.

"I wasn't staring at her," he murmured.

"Sure, you weren't," Trista said knowingly. "I mean, considering since you've obviously seen more, what with your regular skinny dipping sessions."

"For your information, it's always dark out there," Dan retorted defensively. "So we don't actually see each other's…_things_."

It was Trista's turn to roll her eyes. "Oh, my God, it's like second grade with you Daniel. They're called breasts, vagina, penis, say it with me."

"Here's something for you, Tris," Dan said, his voice dripping with false sweetness. "Why don't you get your breasts and vagina in the fucking ocean before I drag you out there tied to your board."

"You're so cute when you get into a hissy fit," the girl shot back with equal sarcasm before pushing herself up on her feet. Dusting the sand off her butt, she stuck her tongue out at him and retrieved her gun, heading towards the sea.

In front of him, Sharpay was giggling. "What?"

"You two are like cats and dogs," she pointed out in amusement. "Always constantly fighting."

"Okay, just so you know, that's not my fault," he said, raising both palms up. "She started it first."

"Hmm…well they say two people who bicker like a married couple will eventually fall in love with each other," she teased as she pulled her hair up in a ponytail.

**Yeah, I'm ready to feel now  
****No longer am I afraid of the fall down  
****It must be time to move on now  
****Without the fear of how it might end  
****I guess I'm ready to love again**

"Never, Sharpay Evans," he told her in half disgust, as though the thought repulsed him. "You hear me? Never."

Planting both hands on her hips, she strutted up to him, tilting her head to one side and surveying him from top to bottom. "You say that now, Dan Patch, but when that happens and you guys get married and have little blonde gothic children, you'll have me to thank and I'll get the privilege of saying 'I told you so'."

He lowered himself so that their noses were merely inches away. "Never gonna happen."

* * *

Hours later and after a couple of average-sized waves, Sharpay felt the first signs of ache in her muscles. The sun was setting, sinking below the horizon as it bathed the cloudless sky a warm shade of amber. She sat on her thruster with her back facing the shore, admiring the calm scenery, drifting in the water while the tides rolled out in gentle waves. Inhaling the fresh salty air, she couldn't help but cherish in the beauty of the moment and the simplicity it represented.

"So, are you ever going to tell us, Shar?"

Until Trista shattered it with that question.

"I told him that I'll think about it," Sharpay began, knowing that she didn't really need to address the person in question. "And I'm still thinking about it, but I don't know…I really thought that…I was so ready to give him a chance…"

"Well, what happened?" Dan asked. Trista had filled him in on the details of the night before when she was over at Sharpay's house so that he was in the loop on what was happening, since the blonde actress's life ran like a freaking bullet train. Everything seemed nice and placid—fragile, probably, but nice and placid nonetheless—where the story last ended, so the two friends were sure that something drastic had occurred during the day for her to suddenly be this hesitant.

Sharpay sighed, running her fingers to create ripples in the water. "He texted me this morning and told me his dad insisted on driving him to school. He had left his car there the previous day and I offered to pick him up." She paused to deeply inhale and exhale. "I didn't think much of it, you know, I mean, it's not like we're officially dating or anything, so technically I didn't get to be suspicious."

She glanced over at Trista for a reaction, to which she just shrugged in response, and then over to Dan who was staring out at the ocean, seemingly deep in thought, so she took that as an encouragement and continued.

"He got to school and there was this big cut below his eye, and before you jump to any conclusions that his dad hit him, it was his ex-girlfriend," she explained. "Turns out that bitch had been in his room, waiting like some shit-ass creep and apparently started talking crap." At that, Dan turned his head and gave her a quizzical look, a hint of a smirk ghosting on his lips. Sharpay leaned over and gently pinched his bicep.

"Ow!" he whimpered, rubbing the sore spot, a red imprint of her fingers already beginning to appear. "Shar!"

"I know what you were thinking," she narrowed her hazel eyes at him. "And that's not very nice."

He snickered, and she resumed with her story.

"Troy wouldn't take none of it, and so he asked her to leave. That ho got angry about it and slapped him."

"It cut his face?" Trista wondered.

"That bitch has claws like a fucking dinosaur," Sharpay confirmed. "I'm surprised she didn't rip half his skull off."

"Alright, so then what happened?" Dan wanted to know.

"Well, I've been getting shit since the moment I stepped into school that morning—people whispering, the weird stares, the usual—but it was exceptionally harsh 'cause everyone thinks I did something to break-up the _bromance_ that Troy had going on with his best friend." Heaving another sigh, she tucked a stray strand of damp hair behind her ear. "But for some reason I felt responsible about _Gabzilla_ hurting him, and so I apologized. He was being nice about it and kept assuring me that it wasn't any of my fault, and then I told him that I was still thinking about it."

Trista made a noise, something incomprehensible and vague.

"What?"

The other girl shook her head. "Talk about a bullet to the heart, Shar."

"I didn't mean it like that," Sharpay replied. "I really did feel responsible, especially since I really am still thinking about it, I mean, we're not even together and he's already taking all this nonsense, I can only imagine what would happen to him if we were."

"That's not true, and you know that," Dan pointed out wisely. "You're running from this because he told you he loves you and you can't say it back. You don't feel responsible, you feel guilty."

"Wait, how did you—"

"I'm your best friend, Shar," he reminded her with an easy smile.

He was spot on with that accusation and she took a rough moment to ponder over the truth behind his words. It left her speechless because nobody had ever put it into that much perspective before, and it blew her away. Suspecting it was one thing, realizing it was another, but having someone actually saying it out loud was a whole new experience altogether.

**So come and find me  
****I'll be waiting up for you  
****I'll be holding out for you tonight**

"Anyway, I take it that's not the actual story?" Trista cut into her reverie.

"No, not really," Sharpay muttered. "He told Chad about my secret."

"Which one?" the brunette questioned.

"The one where Ryan and I were abandoned as a baby, and that we were adopted," she told them. "Now the whole world knows about it because that afro-head had to announce it during lunch, in the cafeteria, in front of the entire school."

"Wait, I thought they weren't on speaking terms—"

"They're not, Dan," Sharpay clarified. "Troy told him before all this—this thing—happened, and then everything was a blur after that. I trusted him with that secret, and he said that he didn't even think Chad believed him."

"Well, to give him credit, I don't think this Chad guy would've believed him either," Trista spoke up, offering her opinion. "I mean, there's no concrete evidence of anything, and the dude probably thought you told Troy some bullshit just to gain something out of it. That's how you work, right? You're the H.B.I.C because you didn't want anybody to see your weaknesses. It's your default defense mechanism, and your past is too much of a different concept for anybody to grasp. I'm actually surprised Troy bought it the first time round."

"When did you get so introspective?"

Dan chuckled while Trista splashed seawater at her.

"Shut up," the brunette growled.

Sharpay wiped the spray off her face and contemplated on the situation. "He shouldn't have told Chad to begin with. He promised me he wouldn't breathe a word to anybody. I just—I feel betrayed—like I don't know if I can trust him. It's a constant tango between us. Each time we take one step forward, something comes up and we take two steps back. It's exhausting."

"His intentions are pure, Shar," Dan said quietly. "And he wants to clear the air before anything happens. If you think about it, he just wants a clean chance, and this thing with Chad and the secret, he's actually doing you a favour."

"How so?"

"What else is there left for you _not_ to give him a chance?"

Sharpay raked her brains for anything at all that Troy Bolton had done to not earn him the rights of her trust, but she couldn't come up with any. All the things that had happened, he had admitted to them, and Dan was right. Troy's intentions had been for the good and there weren't any other ulterior motives for them—except for lying to her about the party, in which he had also reasoned with her why.

"Sharpay, if anything, you probably don't deserve a chance with him," Trista remarked bluntly.

"Tris, what—"

"Shut up, Dan," Trista interrupted before he could say anything else. "From what I see here, Shar, the only one who's not honest is you. It's not fair for Troy if you're the only one who's going to make the final decision when you're not exactly telling him everything in your life. He doesn't deserve it, okay, he doesn't deserve to cling on to that hope of being with you if you're not going to commit to trusting him. If you're going to give him a chance, you have to tell him, and then maybe he'll forgive you enough to give you one as well."

"But don't you see?" Sharpay burst out, her lips trembling and the tears threatening to escape her eyes. "I _want_ to be with him. I want to give him that chance, and see that look on his face, but I can't bear to do that to him. I don't want to be the one that would give him all that hope and then take it away."

"You're afraid he'll leave." It wasn't a question, more of a statement.

**Yeah, I'm ready to feel now  
****No longer am I afraid of the fall down**

"Tris—"

"No more fucking bullshit, Shar," the brunette said pointedly. "If you think he's just going to bolt the second you tell him, I seriously think you don't give the guy enough credit."

"She's right," Dan agreed, reaching his hand out to wipe the lone tear that had trailed down Sharpay's cheek. "He loves you. I'm sure he'll move mountains for you, but you've got to learn to trust him—to _completely_ trust him—and not dwell on whatever he did before."

"So you guys think I should tell him?" Sharpay mumbled.

"Absolutely," Dan stated with finality.

* * *

It was already dark by the time they loaded their gear onto the back of Dan's pickup, the night air still and silent sans the gentle lapping of the ocean waves. The three teenagers leaned up against the side of the vehicle and reveled in the calming serenity. Sharpay's gaze was out at the sea, watching as the tide manipulated the moon's reflection in contorted shapes. Sighing in content, she finally allowed herself to truly relax.

"God, it's been a long day," Trista grumbled, cracking the muscles in her neck.

"Do you know what we really need right now?" Dan wondered out loud, wistfully glancing up at the stars amongst the velvet sky.

"What?" Sharpay groaned, wanting nothing more than to take a nice warm bath and wash away all the salty stickiness, and then cuddle up in front of the television to watch a feel-good Audrey Hepburn movie.

"We need a drink."

Trista quirked an eyebrow in complete disinterest. "I thought you have an infinite supply of soda stashed under the seat?"

"No, I mean, we _really_ need a drink," Dan reiterated, a thoughtful gleam in his eyes. He pushed himself away from the truck and faced his two female friends with a lopsided grin.

"Oh, my God, you're thinking what I think you're thinking, aren't you?" Sharpay narrowed her hazel eyes and pointed an accusing finger at him.

Dan nodded, his face breaking out into a gigantic full-blown smile, like a kid on Christmas morning, and both girls whined in distress. If there was one thing Sharpay hated, it was to babysit a pair of drunkards while being assigned as the designated driver.

_That's going to be so fun_, she thought sarcastically, knowing that Trista was terrible at holding her liquor even though she was a notorious drinker. Just three knocks of shots and she'd be dancing on bar tops in only her bra and jeans. Dan, on the other hand, wouldn't stop downing anything till he's fully passed out.

Sharpay wrinkled her nose in revolt. She wasn't able to consume hard liquor of any sort; the doctor had advised as much. Excessive amounts of alcohol in her bloodstream could be dangerous, perhaps even potentially fatal. So as her friends drowned their problems with vodka and tequila, she was stuck with virgin martini cocktails with mini umbrellas on the sides. Not that she was really complaining. On the contrary, she was more than pleased to stay sober. The last time she got intoxicated, she had ended up having sex with Troy Bolton and not remembered a smidge of it. Frankly, she was rather curious about it—about how it had been—but then she figured, she was better off not knowing. Nothing good would ever come from it, anyway.

"I'm fucking sick of those sleazy karaoke bars, Dan," Trista scowled, fidgeting with her jet-black hair as she tried to untangle the knots. "Those places are only filled with perverse red necks trying to stick their dicks up your ass."

Sharpay winced at the mental image. "Seriously?"

"Don't even," Trista warned, frowning at a particularly bitter memory. "I kicked that asshole's balls so hard I'm sure he's stopped producing sperm."

"Okay, so no karaoke bars," Dan gave in, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Why don't we go to a club?" he suggested.

Trista glared hard at him. "Do you need to get laid or something? That place is just swarming with erected wangs."

"What?" he scrunched his face up in confusion and mild repugnance. "No! I'm just saying that we can really use some good booze and let ourselves hang loose."

"Hey, that rhymes!" Sharpay exclaimed gleefully, raising her palm for him to slap.

"Come on," he coaxed. "It's been a long day—a long week, in fact—it'll be nice to just let our inhibitions run free and live in the moment. Life's too short to dwell on the 'what if's."

The girls exchanged looks, still not persuaded.

Deciding that he had to draw out the big guns, Dan said, "drinks are on me."

"You sure?" Trista asked skeptically, not because she didn't believe him, but because he couldn't really afford it.

Sharpay tried to read his expression, wondering if there was a catch to his offer, but his face remained neutral, like he couldn't care less if Trista would possibly wipe his pocket clean.

Dan sighed, nodding. "All on me," he confirmed.

The brunette shrugged. "Alright then, I'm in."

"What about you, Shar? You up for it?" There was a devilish tone in his voice, almost daring her.

Sharpay paused for a moment, weighing her options. She reckoned that she probably could use a truly good time without having to worry about anything. The events of the week had caught on to her and she really wanted nothing more than to escape. It was why she'd called Dan that afternoon to begin with. Besides, she trusted both her friends enough to know that they wouldn't lead her into uncompromising situations.

_What was the worst that could happen anyway?_

"Fine," she conceded. "Count me in."

As if on cue, a minivan squealed to a halt next to them—parked way off the lot—and a group of college students flooded out of the compact vehicle, laughing and squealing as they raced down towards the beach. All in all, Sharpay counted seven of them—three guys, four girls—and watched with amusement while they blindly tossed their clothes onto the sand and splashed—or rather canon-balled—into the water in nothing but their underwear.

"See that?" Dan smirked, gesturing towards the rowdy bunch. "That's living in the moment."

"Those guys are pussy-whipped," Trista commented dryly.

"You know, Tris, you could really use some spontaneity in your life," he told her, to which her reply came in a rude snort.

Sharpay couldn't help the twinge of envy that she felt in the pit of her belly as she observed the interaction going on. Those teenagers really did look like they didn't have a care in the world, like an earthquake could be threatening to rock the country and they wouldn't bat an eyelash. Suddenly, she wanted that—that freedom—and that ability to just vanish with nature.

**It must be time to move on now  
****Without the fear of how it might end  
****I guess I'm ready, I'm ready to love again**

"Let's do it!" Sharpay blurted out, the anticipation illuminating her delicate features.

Laughing, Dan pulled the blonde into his strong arms and kissed the top of her head. "There you go, Shar!" he cheered, playfully tweaking her nose with his middle and index finger.

"Wait a minute," Trista interjected, crossing her arms across her chest. "Can we at least clean up first before we go? Like possibly at the Evans mansion so that I can steal more black eyeliner."

Sharpay gasped in faux horror and made a big show of lunging for the other girl, fingers poised in a clawing manner, only to be held back by Dan's iron grasp around her torso. Trista stuck her tongue out childishly, playing along and Sharpay felt Dan's whole frame vibrate as he let out a hearty guffaw. He dug his digits into her sides, and the ticklish jolt sent her into a fit of giggles. Rolling her grayish eyes, Trista pushed the tailgate up and latched it into place.

"Come on, kids!" she called out, climbing into the passenger's side. "I have a warm shower and a Jell-O shot calling out to me. Hustle up!"

Dan ceased his ministrations and set Sharpay down onto her feet, her face a deep shade of red from the effort as she tried to catch her breath. He thoroughly enjoyed making her laugh like that—those moments were rare for her—and for everybody else too. For him, though, he was just glad that he was able to do his job.

"I'll meet you there, alright?" he informed her, his large calloused hands lingering on her waist. "Be careful."

"Yes, sir," she promised, giving him a salute.

With another chaste kiss to her forehead, Dan shot her one of his trademark swoon-worthy affectionate smiles—the one reserved specially for her—and hopped into the driver's seat. The pickup rumbled to life as Sharpay slid into her sleek convertible, and she pulled out of the parking lot seconds after Dan drove off.

Then, it was just her and her thoughts. Nothing can be any more dangerous than that. Sharpay knew that she probably shouldn't be thinking of _him_ at that moment but everything her friends had said was echoing in her head. She was acutely aware that each accusation had a certain degree of truth to it all, and that there were no definite or one-way answers to solving her issues. Juggling the pros and cons, adding more 'what if's into the equations, she was at a critical cross-junction in her life. Although neither Dan nor Trista would allow their opinions to dictate her decisions, Sharpay felt that her best friends played a major role in her happiness. They've been looking out for one another for so long now, it's an unspoken rule to protect each other from crumbling into dust.

_Am I willing to take the risk? Will it all be worth it?_

Never before had decisions been so difficult. He head was starting to throb in the makings of a migraine. Not really wanting a damper on her mood, she flicked on the stereo and blasted some feel good songs that were playing on the radio. She forced her dilemma out of her mind, choosing instead to focus on the road ahead.

Dan's white Silverado was already parked in the driveway by the time she reached home, so she drove her car into the garage and entered the her ridiculously gigantic house through the side door. She came into the kitchen, where she found Dan piling up a sandwich, vegetables and ham slices spread out in front of him. He seemed to have already snuck a shower in, clad in a pair of denim jeans and a navy blue button-down. His dirty blonde hair was still slightly damp though, and she could smell the musky scent of an aftershave.

"Really, Dan Patch?" she mock reprimanded and popped one hand on her hip, her duffel bag clutched in the other. "Carbs before dinner?"

"I'm hungry," he replied between bites, crumbs falling onto his shirt.

"But a sandwich? Really?"

He swallowed his food, and then dusted the bits off his clothes before taking another big bite. "Leave me alone," he growled with his mouth full. "Go take a shower, you stink!"

Sharpay eyeballed him and surveyed the kitchen. "Where's Tris?"

"In your room, I guess."

"Alright then," she dismissed with a nod, exiting the room and heading for her own on the second floor.

"Don't take your own fucking time!" he yelled after her.

Sharpay snickered, knowing that wasn't going to work. She trudged up the stairs to her boudoir and heard the running of water in the bathroom. Carelessly she tossed her bag onto the bed. "You in there, Tris?" she called out, flopping down on the soft mattress with her limbs spread out.

"Yeah!" came a reply. "I'll be out in a minute."

The blonde girl groaned. Trista was never one to know exactly how long a minute was. She could jolly well be in there for another half an hour or so. Shutting her tired eyes, Sharpay figured she could probably use a short nap. It had definitely been a long day, and the surf session had only contributed to tiring her out. She squirmed around the bed, trying to get comfortable, but the dried up salt on her skin was starting to feel itchy.

However, just as she was about to drift off into dreamland, she felt a dip in the mattress and a shift in presence beside her. Sharpay turned her head and took a peek, coming face-to-face with her best friend, a cheeky smile playing on his lips. Annoyed at the interruption, she blindly flung her arms out, attempting to hit him only to have her palm collide with the soft duvet. She heard him chuckle—that deep, sexy way of his—and she begrudgingly lifted her heavy eyelids.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty," he whispered huskily, rolling onto his side so that he could properly face her, resting his head on a propped-up elbow.

"Go away," she mumbled. "I'm sleepy."

"But the party hasn't even started yet," he reminded her. "And you're Sharpay Evans. The party doesn't start till you walk in."

She didn't say anything, though her lips twitched up in a small smile. Eyes back shut; she shifted her body and curled up into his warm frame, her face burrowed into his muscular chest as she inhaled his boyish essence. Sharpay loved cuddling up to him because it felt like the most natural thing on the planet. Dan provided the brotherly love that Ryan never did, and he knew her in more ways than her own twin sibling. In unmentionable ways, they fitted perfectly.

"Shar?"

"Hmm…?" she let out a contented sigh and wriggled closer to him while he tenderly began running his fingers through her tresses.

"You know that I want the best for you, right?" he said softly.

Sharpay glanced up into his sky blue eyes, a million questions swarming in her twin pools of honey. "Where are you going with this?"

"I really want you to be happy, Shar," he told her sincerely, brushing away some stray strands of hair. "But I want you to want to be happy too."

She was genuinely confused. "What do you mean?"

"Whether or not you choose to tell him, I just want you to do it on your own accord," he informed her. "Not because me or Trista told you to. Troy…I'm sure he's the one guy who can truly make you happy. You just have to let him."

**Yeah, I'm ready to feel now  
****No longer am I afraid of the fall down  
****It must be time to move on now  
****Without the fear of how it might end  
****I guess I'm ready to love again**

"Where's this coming from, Dan?"

"Look," he said, ignoring her question. "Tris and I were talking and—"

Before he could finish what he was meant to say, though, the bathroom door slid open and the brunette emerged in Sharpay's hot pink bathrobe, a towel wrapped on top of her head. She stopped short at the sight of her two best friends on the bed in a semi-compromising position and her eyebrows sprung up.

"About time, Tris," Sharpay teased, pushing herself up to a sitting position. "Your one minute was up ten minutes ago."

In typical Trista fashion, she rolled her eyes. "Alright, shut up. It's all yours now."

"Thank you," Sharpay chirped back. Jumping to her feet, she plastered a mega-watt smile on her face and skipped into the steam-filled bathroom.

_Tris and her hot showers,_ she snickered inwardly, and before she closed the door, she could hear the other girl shriek.

"What the _fuck_ was that, Dan Patch?"

* * *

Sharpay found Dan still lying on her bed by the time she was done with her shower fifteen minutes later. She had to go grab her clothes and change—thinking that he'd probably gone downstairs to find some more food to eat—and wasn't expecting him to be staring intently at the ceiling, continuously throwing her stuffed teddy bear up in the air and allowing it to fall on his stomach.

"You okay?" she questioned tentatively, startling him out of his reverie.

He caught the toy this time and absently replied, "yeah."

Sharpay's brows furrowed, instantly detecting that something was obviously off as she made her way towards her walk-in wardrobe. The first thing that came to her mind was that Trista had probably done something to upset him. They may be best friends but Trista loved pushing his buttons. "What was that about just now?"

"Just now?" He was playing dumb and she knew that, but she decided to cut him some slack.

Taking her eyes off the rows of clothes, she glanced over her shoulder at him. "Yeah, before, when I went into the shower. Why was she yelling at you like you were some lunatic?"

He shrugged his shoulders and sat up. "I don't know," he muttered.

"Did you two argue about something?" she pressed on, rifling through her clothes.

"You can say so," he responded vaguely.

"Okay, sweetie, you have to be more specific," she told him, fishing out a simple white dress to inspect. It had quite a deep cut down the valley of her breasts with rhinestones sewn along the neckline, the hem reaching just above her knees.

"It's nothing, Shar," he insisted with a nonchalant wave of his hand. "Just forget it."

"Fine," she gave in, pulling her lingerie out of the drawers. "You two are like North and South Korea. One wrong move and the whole country blows up."

He laughed good-naturedly and made his way over to sit on the stool by the vanity desk. "That would be about right," he agreed.

Sharpay slipped her panties on underneath her bathrobe, and then proceeded to take it off when she had to hook her bra, well aware that Dan was watching her get dressed but she was beyond being conscious of her body around him. They'd seen each other naked countless of times now, catching glimpses of each other during their skinny-dipping escapades, modesty just wasn't in the cards anymore. She sidled into the dress and wordlessly turned her back to him. Understanding her needs, he helped zip her up.

"So, what were you saying previously?" she asked, shooing him out of the seat so that she could fix herself up. "Before Tris came out."

"Oh, well, just that you don't go out and have fun often," he said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "You need to let go more."

**It must be time to move on now  
****Without the fear of how it might end  
****I guess I'm ready, I'm ready to love again**

"I just have better things to do," she countered as she searched around for her favourite black eyeliner, which she suspected that her brunette friend had 'borrowed'. "Besides, it's not like I can drink anyway."

"It's not just that, Shar. You live once, so make full use of it."

Those words hit a little too close to home, and Sharpay tensed at the implications. However, she tried to keep the ache in her heart from showing, but it was too late. Dan had already realized his mistake and quickly enveloped her in his arms.

"I didn't mean it like that, you know it," he murmured into her hair.

She nodded. "I know. It's just…unexpected. It threw me off guard for a moment."

"I'm sorry," he regretfully apologized.

"Don't be," she told him, pulling away from his embrace to give him an assuring grin. "You're right about it."

"You ready to go, then?"

"Yeah, sure," she told him lightly, appreciating the change in subject. "Just give me five minutes in here. Go get my car ready and then park yours in the garage. You'll have to pick it up tomorrow."

He gave her arm a gentle squeeze and then walked out of the room to go carry out her orders. When she was at last satisfied with her appearance, she hurried out of the house and climbed into the back seat of her convertible, seeing that Trista had already claimed her spot at the front with Dan behind the wheel. The hood was up, and Sharpay was thankful for his consideration as they drove out of the mansion gates. It wasn't long till she realized that they were heading in the wrong direction.

"Er…Dan? I think downtown's the other way," she spoke up. "You missed the exit two junctions ago?"

"We're making a pit stop first," he calmly explained.

Sharpay glanced around at the surroundings and noticed that the roads seemed familiar. She just couldn't quite put a finger on it. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," Trista said mysteriously, craning her neck around to give the blonde girl a cheeky smirk.

"Oh, my God, please don't tell me we're picking up weed," Sharpay's eyes grew wide. "I swear to you—"

"Relax, Shar," her female friend cut in. "We're not picking up weed, at least not today."

"So then where are we going?"

When she didn't receive an answer from either one of them, Sharpay figured she might as well give it a rest. Dan and Trista were clearly in some sort of ploy together. They might not get along half the time but they were both pretty scheming.

Oh well, Sharpay thought. At least they're not at wits with each other.

More familiar streets and landmarks passed by and Sharpay had a sinking feeling she knew where they were heading. It didn't take a genius to piece two and two together. Her suspicions were confirmed a few moments later as Dan pulled over by the curb in front of a house she knew so well. Sharpay stiffened and slinked further into the leather seat, just wishing to be sucked into a black hole.

"Why are we here?" she demanded with a frown.

"Because you're going to go up to that door and ask Troy Bolton to come out with us," Trista instructed, a mischievous glint in her smoky eyes.

Sharpay shot her an incredulous look. "You have _got_ to be kidding me."

The two teenagers simultaneously shook their heads, both of them wearing completely different expressions. While Trista seemed foxy and artful, Dan was utterly serious.

"Why?"

"You can't avoid him forever," Dan reasoned out. "And I know you're going to try and do that, so what better way to be reacquainted than at a club?"

Sharpay scowled, the sourness of the memory stabbing at the back of her throat. "The last time I was near Troy and alcohol, it had ended with a drunken fuck fest that I can't remember."

"Are you upset about the fuck fest or the fact that you can't remember it?"

Sharpay shot the brunette a death glare.

"Come on, Shar," the girl said. "What are the chances of that happening again?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

"We'll be there, alright?" Dan added in. "Nothing bad is going to happen, I'll be sure of it. We just want to see you happy and enjoying yourself tonight."

"And you're happier when Troy's around," Trista stated like it was an everyday observation.

"But—"

"Just trust us, okay?" Dan appealed, unleashing the power of this puppy-dog eyes.

_Damnit!_ Sharpay cursed silently when she felt herself slowly caving in. _Fuck you, Dan Patch!_

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she glanced over at the guy in the driver's seat, waiting for him to tell her that she didn't have to go through with it if she was not comfortable. It never came. Instead he presented her with an encouraging smile as a prompt to bite the bullet. She hesitated, knowing that her friends absolutely right once again but not really wanting to agree with them. Frankly, this situation could go both ways. Sharpay just couldn't figure out which one she preferred more.

"Shar?"

Maybe that was just the push she needed.

_I guess it's now or never._

Sharpay braced herself with one final personal pep talk and then opened the car door, sliding out of the vehicle. She stood on the pavement just staring at the house, still wondering if this was a good idea. From inside her convertible, Dan cleared his throat and she turned to him, a sudden rush of panic flooding through her body. She was so ready to jump back into the car and hide under a rock for the rest of her life, but her best friend was gesturing supportively towards the property, and she couldn't find it in her to back out.

**Yeah, I'm ready to feel now  
****No longer am I afraid of the fall down  
****It must be time to move on now  
****Without the fear of how it might end  
****I guess I'm ready to love again**

Her first step was the hardest, and then it seemed like the path leading up to the Bolton's front porch went on forever. Eventually, she made it to the door, pausing a second too long before she reached up and pressed on the doorbell.

And then she waited.

And waited.

Until she grew impatient and rang the bell again.

_Is he even home?_

And then the door flew open.

His face broke out into a huge smile, immediately illuminating his boyishly handsome features, and Sharpay could feel the blood rushing up to her cheeks. She didn't know what it was but Troy Bolton had a way with taking one look at her and reducing her into a puddle of mush.

"Shar!"

"Hey, Troy," she mumbled.

He tilted his head in that adorable way of his and regarded her with curiosity, although his grin on his lips never faltered one bit. "Hi—I mean, what—why—what are you doing here?" he asked, tripping over his words. "Are you okay? I texted you a couple of times in the afternoon and left voicemails on your phone, but you never replied, and I was getting worried—"

_God bless him._

"Are your parents home?" She didn't mean to cut him off, but she was starting to feel awful about ignoring his messages. He must've thought that she was still mad at him. Well, in a way, she still was, but it just didn't seem so important anymore. In truth, though, she had her cell on silent mode—in which she hadn't had the time to check—since she got to Pure Shores.

His forehead creased in confusion at her question. "No, they—"

"Great!" she blurted out. "Go get changed now. We're going to Oasis."

"Oasis?" he parroted stupidly, like what-the-hell.

"Yes, hurry!"

"Now? But I—"

"Come on, Troy," she snapped, getting slightly agitated. "You live once. Make full use of it."

"But I have a curfew and—"

"Fuck it, Troy, what's the worst that could happen?" Sharpay shrugged. "You're already getting detention. Besides, it's a Friday night."

"Shar—"

**It must be time to move on now  
****Without the fear of how it might end  
****I guess I'm ready, I'm ready to love again**

"Just trust me, okay?"

* * *

**A/N:** So I know that there's little to no Troypay interaction in this chapter, but bear with me the next chapter's just going to flood with it. There's some major Dan development in this chapter, and I think it's going to get people thinking and guessing…Please do let me know how I'm doing. I'd really hate to drop out of a story halfway and not finish it because of the drop in interest.

**TheDude47:** Hi! I'm not sure if you realized this but as you read, I've given line credit to you with "one step forward two steps back". It was inspiration for me to write the line for Sharpay. Thank you so much for reviewing and reading and the encouragement to write more. Sorry for the late update, it kind of gets hard to write when you don't get feedback on your work. Either ways, let me know what you think of this update :D

Song used — "Ready to Love Again" by Lady Antebellum


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: **Yes! Chapter 29 is done! Wow, this was totally a fun chapter to write, but firstly I would like to thank everybody who's spent time reading and reviewing, and letting me know that I'm not dead to the world of Troypay and fanfiction. Therefore, I'd like to personally dedicate this update to each and every one of my wonderful readers and reviewers!

Enjoy!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 29**

_Shit, my dad's going to be so fucking pissed with me if he knows where I am right now,_ he thought, nervously running his fingers through his shaggy copper-coloured hair as he nudged his way through the throng of people huddled in the middle of the room. Coach Bolton would probably be home any minute and find his son missing. Cue the ringtone.

And then he felt the vibrations in the front pocket of his denim jeans.

_Right, begin ignoring sequence._

Troy knew he'd be in deep trouble the moment he had gotten into that black convertible but he figured, _what the hell_. Sharpay was right; he only lived once. Besides, which sad-ass high school student still gets bossed around by the folks, anyway?

_It's just effing tragic._ Immediately he winced in guilt. Surely, he was raised better than that, but Troy knew very well he wasn't a saint. And he probably never was, just waiting for the right moment to unleash his inner demons known as teenage hormones. Then again, whom was he kidding? Improper thoughts had always seemed to be swimming in his mind every single time he was in close proximity with Sharpay Evans.

This one was no different.

_Sweet Jesus!_ he cursed inwardly when his cerulean blue eyes trailed down the porcelain skin of her exposed back where the cut of her dress started, and then casually skated his gaze downwards to the curves of her hips where he stayed transfixed on her well-toned ass. _Fuck, Troy! Stop staring, you pervert!_

He was chastising himself only because he found it offensive to ogle the blonde bombshell from behind, like he was cheating. Even though the lighting in the club totally sucked, and the rainbow strobe lights were doing little in providing ample visual aid, he was still able to see her all the same and it was doing all sorts of wrong to his senses. Troy didn't know how she wasn't aware of it, but he was damn certain he could've burned a hole through the fabric of her outfit.

_Fuck, a girl shouldn't be this gorgeous!_

It wasn't that he hadn't noticed it either, but every straight dude within a twenty-feet radius were gawking shamelessly at her—some practically leering and salivating like she was some kind of exotic creature—while girls peeked enviously from the corners of their eyes. Although he didn't appreciate it, Troy couldn't help it as the hypocritical side of him joined in the drooling parade. For all it was worth, he had been desperately trying to suppress the huge bulge in his pants ever since she had showed up at his doorstep. Not making a fool out of himself was proven harder than he thought. On top of that, he still wasn't entirely sure why she had invited him to begin with.

Troy had been so convinced that she was still furious over that incident with Chad in school. She hadn't responded to any of his attempt at contacting her. All he wanted to know was that she was fine. Heck, he had even expected her to text him back asking him to fuck off and leave her alone, but when she hadn't even made an effort to reject his calls, he had started to get worried.

_So, yes, I nearly crapped in my pants when she came knocking, dressed like that,_ he blushed a deep shade of red. _Sue me for being a guy._

Yet, he was still befuddled about her invitation, which she had yet to offer an explanation for. All she did was bark at him to change his clothes and look somewhat decent, and then get his ass out of the house. She didn't exactly allow him the time to question her motives.

_Maybe it was a dare._

Their history with alcohol hadn't been the most pleasant one—well, for her anyway—and it was what ultimately got him twisted—like an unsolvable riddle—because seriously, why would she want to go down that road again?

Unless she was testing him.

_That must be it,_ he figured as he maneuvered around the crowd to tail after her, mesmerized at how her curls bounced with each measure step. Sharpay was teasing him without even realizing the extent of her actions. It was slowly driving him wild. _God, is it just me or is it getting really hot in here? I need a drink._

For a guy, he sure was thinking too much.

_Well, if she's trying to test me, then I'm going to show her that she can trust me not to jeopardize what we have._

Easier said than done.

Especially since all he wanted to do at the moment was to grab her and have his way with her on the bar top, discretion be damned.

All of a sudden she spun around, startling Troy out of his dirty fantasy—narrowly running into her petite frame—and said something inaudible. The hip-hop music that was blaring out of the speakers overpowered her theatrical voice. For a split second, Troy considered lip-reading, but her luscious gloss-coated mouth was a tad bit too distracting for his adolescent mind.

"What?" he yelled over the booming beats of the bass, leaning closer until he was directly next to her ear. He held his clenched fists to his sides, resisting the pressing urge to touch her. Of all God-forbidden times, he had to choose this one to be horny.

"Tris and I are heading for the bar!"

Troy nodded dumbly. "Okay," he answered, blindly following her now—completely clueless to his bearings—to the other side of the club where he spotted Dan's blonde self already seated on a stool and was ordering their drinks from the bartender. How he managed to get there so fast was beyond Troy. That guy probably had more stealth than a ninja.

_For fuck's sake, Troy, are you already drunk?_ he questioned himself.

"Hey, man!" Troy greeted, clapping Dan on the shoulder, trying to appear casual. In his peripheral vision, though, he could see Sharpay hoisting herself up on the leather barstool, her dress riding higher up her thighs.

He swallowed hard.

_Shit, shit,_ he mentally coached, forcing the inappropriate thoughts out of his head. _Hairy armpits. Baby barf. Bee sting. Shark attack. Calculus. Mrs. Darbus. Chad's smelly socks._

"Hey," Dan grinned warmly. "What do you like, Troy?"

The basketball captain snuck a quick look at Sharpay, who was laughing at something Trista said, and then figured he didn't want to look like a pathetic loser while Dan Patch was being such a macho gentleman, so he shrugged like it was no big deal. "Anything's cool," he replied, perching himself on the seat in between his new friend and his love.

"Beer?"

"Sure," he said, and then sent a silent reminder to himself to consume just one mug. He needed all the brain cells he could have.

The bartender came back with Trista's bright green Jell-O shot and Sharpay's margarita—which he realized was virgin—and Dan signaled him over to place an order for a pint of Budweiser. Troy flinched slightly, hoping that nobody noticed, as a bad memory began clouding his thoughts.

_Couldn't he have ordered a Heineken or something? Maybe a Bud Light?_ he wondered, and then stopped short. _Fuck, I'm such a pussy!_

"They don't card us around here?" he asked aloud to no one in particular. Although technically they were high school seniors, Troy still had a couple of months to go before he legally turned eighteen.

Sharpay turned to him, daintily sipping her drink. "No, they just assume we're old enough to be responsible since, duh, we got through the front door."

They hadn't even needed an ID to enter. The burly bouncer had taken one look at Dan and then at Sharpay before she whispered something into his ear, and had immediately allowed them in, no questions asked. They didn't even have to queue up like everybody else.

"Really?"

Dan chuckled, finding Troy's skepticism amusing as their drinks were presented on a coaster in front of them. "Her dad owns the club."

Troy's cyan eyes widened into two perfect saucers, and he was glad he hadn't drunk his beer yet, or he would have spit it out like some idiot. _The fuck?_ "Your dad owns this club?"

Sharpay sighed, as though it was a burden to discuss her father's wealth out loud. "Co-owns, actually, with his two other business partners."

"You're kidding me!"

"Dude, you _have_ been to Tisdale's Square, right?" Trista smirked from where she sat, downing her shot in one swig.

"Once again, Sharpay Evans, you haven't failed to surprise me," Troy teased and drank his beer, getting that first pungent odour and taste of hops, slightly gagging at the after bitter twang on his tongue.

Sharpay flashed him a small smile, and went back to facing her brunette friend who was gesturing the bar tender for another shot of vodka. She got an instant refill and downed that one as well.

"Come on, Tris, dance with me!" Sharpay urged, hopping off the chair and tugging at the other girl's wrist.

"Alright, alright, hold your thong," Trista snickered before getting up and allowing herself to be dragged into the pool of bodies on the dance floor.

**Poppin****' bottles in the ice, like a blizzard  
****When we drink we do it right gettin' slizzard  
****Sippin' sizzurp in my ride, in my ride, like Three 6  
****Now I'm feelin' so fly like a G6**

Troy kept his eyes trained on them—Sharpay, really, who was he trying to fool?—as they co-mingled with the throng of intoxicated people, laughing and smiling, swaying and getting lost in the music. Time all but stopped the moment she grooved and twirled; the many years of dance classes making her grace seem effortless. She was radiant, just oozing with blithe as she hoofed it with her best friend. The way her entire face lit up with her smile, it made Troy weak in the knees.

She was hypnotic.

"So, Troy—"

Dan's voice jolted him out of his trance-like state.

"Heard what happened in school today," the other guy said, getting straight to the point and catching Troy off guard. "Revealing her secret and all—"

"Dude, I really hadn't meant for it to turn out that way," he blurted out in a rush, not wanting to get on the bad side of his love interest's best friend. "I thought that if I told Chad, he'd understand and quit snubbing on Sharpay but I guess it just blew up in my face. I really didn't mean for anything bad to happen, honest to God, Chad was being such an ass—"

"Relax, Troy," Dan cut in, the corner of his lips twitching upwards as he took another chug of his beer. "I'm not judging you, and personally, I don't care what you did. It's bound to come out sooner or later. The question now is: what are you going to do about it?"

**Gimme that Mo-Moet-wet  
****Gimme that Cry-Crystal-tal  
****Ladies love my style, at my table gettin' wild**

Troy frowned and wrapped his fingers around his mug, running them up and down the cool, wet beaded surface of the glass. The promise he had made to Sharpay came haunting back, but he was at a loss. Hours of pondering and contemplating, and he was still no closer to an answer. He felt like a total loser.

"You _are_ going to do something about it, right?"

"Of course," Troy automatically replied. Then he paused and sighed. "I just—I don't know how to fix this screw-up."

"She's actually over it, you know," Dan told him honestly, turning his beer glass on its mat. "Give her time to lick her wounds. She'll be fine. Sharpay's a strong girl."

"But she'll never trust me again," Troy murmured, unsure if the other guy could actually hear him for he hadn't intended to voice it out loud.

Dan tilted his head, thoughtfully inspecting the troubled jock. He took a moment before slowly emptying his mug in three huge gulps. "What makes you think she stopped?"

"Huh?"

Motioning the bartender for a refill, Dan continued. "She trusts you, Troy. She just doesn't know it—she's unsure—and I've known Sharpay long enough now. She just needs confirmation. You have to crack her security code."

**Get them bottles poppin****', we get that drip and that drop  
****Now give me 2 more bottles cuz you know it don't stop**

Troy could barely decipher this one as it is. He took another tentative sip of his booze, barely even halfway done, but he wondered if the alcohol was already kicking in and wrecking havoc to his system.

"What do you mean?"

"She came out here tonight for a distraction," Dan patiently explained. "She's been needing one the whole afternoon. Tris and I brought her out surfing 'cause she wanted to, but it wasn't working. You see, that's what I'm here for, Troy, and that's why you're here."

"Wait, what—"

"You don't have to fix anything. What's done is done. What you need to focus on now is to distract Sharpay from her problems. She just wants to forget. It's a defense mechanism."

"But why me?" Troy asked, his eyes cast downwards as he stared at the dark surface of the bar top. That question had been playing on his mind for a long while now. "I'm probably the one person she wants to forget about right now."

Dan shook his head and drank his beer again, Troy following suit. "Or so she says, but truthfully, Troy, she's happiest when she's with you."

"How can you say that?"

"Believe me, I know our girl more than she thinks, and I'm just hoping you don't fuck this opportunity up."

"Did you set her up for this?" Troy wondered, his brows furrowed.

Dan just gave him a smug look, hiding a grin behind his glass of alcohol. "She makes her own choices, you know that."

Indeed.

"I don't even know what to do, man," he confessed, subconsciously tapping the brim of his glassware to the rhythm of the house music.

"Just don't talk about school."

"Well, _obviously_," Troy retorted sarcastically.

**(808) Hell Yeaa  
****Drink it up, drink-drink it up,  
****When sober girls around me, they be actin****' like they drunk**

Dan quirked an eyebrow in his direction, and Troy quickly dove in for another gulp of his beer. "Are you one of those angry drunks?"

Tilting his head, Troy wondered where that random question came from. He blinked, unsure of how to respond to that. Was that guy serious? He was weighing the odds when Dan's face cracked up in an amused smile. Groaning, Troy muttered, "shut up."

"Oh, you're the hissy fit drunk."

Maybe it was the hooch, maybe it was his easy non-holier-than-thou tone, or maybe it was all part of Dan's charm, but Troy took the teasing in stride and allowed himself to laugh.

And it felt good.

_Damn, he really is a good friend._

Sharpay really was lucky to have someone like Dan Patch, who truly looked out for her wellbeing and cared deeply for her feelings. If Troy didn't like him so much, he probably would feel intimidated and slightly threatened. It only made sense because the other guy was practically perfect. He had seen the way the two best friends interacted, and somehow he was immensely jealous of their intimate bond. They were so good together, like yin and yang, and Troy wasn't sure what but something told him that there was more to their friendship than he was led to believe.

Troy snuck a sideways glance at the other person, hoping it wouldn't look too creepy. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Dan was incredibly good-looking, like one of those surfer dudes, with his blonde out-of-bed hairstyle and the easy-going vibe. Yet, there was a certain degree of intensity in his striking sapphire eyes that would never fail to intrigue people. How could any woman in the world resist that?

Then again, how could any man in the universe resist Sharpay Evans?

_Seriously, does he not have feelings for her?_

Craning his neck around, Troy searched the hoards of gyrating bodies on the dance floor till he landed on a certain blonde. She seemed to be having a time of her life, jumping up and down, her face lit up and glowing. It brought another grin up to his lips.

"Hey, listen, I might be able to help you with Sharpay but—" Dan paused and squinted his eyes, scrutinizing something at the other end of the room. "Dude, check this out," he said, nudging Troy with his hand. "Some chick's trying to kill our girl."

Troy whipped his head around and took a scan around the club. He wasn't exactly sure whom Dan was referring to since he could barely see anything. "You sure?"

"Yeah, that girl, by the round table over there," Dan told him, nodding at a direction. "Ten o'clock."

**They be actin****' like they drunk, actin-actin' like they drunk  
****When sober girls around me they be actin' like they drunk**

It took Troy a few seconds to find what he was supposed to be looking for, and when he saw her, he did a double take. He had to strain his eyes for a while to make sure he wasn't seeing things—or worse, hallucinating—from all the alcohol. The bad lighting was being a bitch, but then he realized there was no way he wouldn't be able to recognize that pile of raven hair, those bold raccoon-looking eyes—filled with a million different shade of hatred—and vivid rouged lips.

_Fuck, this is scary. Drunk or not drunk._

"Shit, that's Gabriella."

Dan sneered. "You mean Gabzilla?"

"Did Sharpay call her that?"

The lad just shrugged his shoulders. "About a thousand times. It's her favourite."

Troy chuckled and chugged down another mouthful of his drink, remembering that she had in fact used that nickname in front of him before. If his ex-girlfriend was actually really there shooting daggers at Sharpay, he knew wouldn't be able to handle it without the buzz. Nothing was more hazardous than a resentful woman. Knowing Gabriella, she probably wouldn't go without leaving a scar of some sort.

_Maybe Sharpay can get her thrown out of the club?_

"Is she stalking you or something?

Shaking his head, Troy replied, "I don't know, man."

Dan laughed. "I know she's your ex-girlfriend and all, but that's just a little disturbing, don't you think?"

"I'm planning on ways to get her kicked out right now," Troy admitted, suddenly concerned for Sharpay's safety. Frankly, the deranged look in Gabriella's dark eyes was starting to frighten him.

"That's messed up."

"Don't judge me," the basketball captain frowned, his glare never dropping from the brunette. "She's evil, like we need an exorcist."

"I think I've got a better idea."

* * *

**Poppin****' bottles in the ice, like a blizzard  
****When we drink we do it right gettin' slizzard  
****Sippin' sizzurp in my ride, in my ride, like Three 6  
****Now I'm feelin' so fly like a G6**

The music was pulsing in her veins as she danced to the upbeat song that was playing overhead, the exhilarating rush engulfing her petite body as she drowned herself I the hedonistic high. In those carefree moments she was experiencing utter bliss. She barely even needed the alcohol to get her adrenaline pumping, for she knew that it was something she needed to feel and remember while she was sober. Come tomorrow at the break of dawn she would have to return back to the realm of reality.

Just tonight.

It was all she needed.

The next day was an uncertainty, the next week was probably going to be hell, but Sharpay refused to let that bother her. She was there, in a club with her best friends—and Troy Bolton—and she wasn't going to let anything destroy that. Fuck it; she was going to have fun. Shoving all of the negative thoughts out of her mind, she let out a girlish whoop and giggled at the weird dance moves that Trista was doing in front of her.

A couple of guys turned their attention to her—not like she hadn't noticed them trying to eye her discreetly, and then failing terribly—but she ignored them all. One bastard even had the audacity to wink at her in that sleazy way she totally despised, which was ironic since she loved it every time the spotlight was on her. She just couldn't stand being hit on by any Tom, Dick or Harry. It got tired real fast, and all she wanted was to have a good time.

_Not interested, buddy, sorry._

Sharpay gasped all of a sudden, her muscles tensed instinctively when she felt a warm pair of hands gently grasp her hips. She pulled away on reflex for a split second until the familiarity of the touch and the way it slid tantalizingly up to her waist sent a delicious shiver running up her spine.

God, his touch.

Inundated with a starburst of sensations, she bit down on her bottom lip, trying to suppress the low moan that threatened to escape her throat.

_Fuck._

Strong arms encircled her lower torso—almost possessively, always lovingly—and pulled her in till her back was flushed up against his front, their bodies perfectly aligned as he molded himself to encompass her dainty physique. He held her in place, and in that moment she could feel everything—the rise and fall of his chest behind her as he attempted to stabilize his increasing pulse rate, the unsteady hammering of his heart, the heat radiating through the fabric—and wondered what was going through his head. His breath stirred her blonde hair and she swore she heard him cuss. Their position was so blatantly sexual; it couldn't be any more perfect.

**Sippin****' on, sippin' on sizz, Ima ma-make it fizz  
****Girl I keep it gangsta, poppin' bottles at the crib  
****This is how we live, every single night  
****Take that bottle to the head, and let me see you fly**

"Shar…" She had never heard her name ever being pronounced as such—like a pleading sigh of a prayer—his alluring voice husky with a coat of honey.

And then he started rotating his hips against her lower back, his fingers digging sensuously into her skin and Sharpay all but lost it. Her hazel eyes slammed shut at the newfound pleasure, her head thrown back as the shifting of their clothes provided the right amount of friction between them. He growled and grunted with each torturous movement, his animalistic sounds—though scorching her core like bubbling lava—a contrast to the slow, measured way in which he was bumping into her.

_Fuck._

Her thoughts were being replaced by incoherent whispers of him panting in her ear, and then his tongue was tracing a path down the outer shell of it to the slender slope of her neck, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. She shivered involuntarily and reached one hand up to clasp onto his soft, shaggy hair, not wanting the blissful torment to end just yet. His caresses were so addictive, Sharpay couldn't get enough.

"Troy…" she grated as his hands moved south to stroke her bare thighs, the callousness of his fingers creating blazing imprints on her skin. "Oh, God…"

She was starting to notice the growing bulge in his pants, and the way he was dragging his nails sensually higher up her leg underneath her dress was rendering her catatonic. Yet, at the same time, he was reducing her to writhing mess. Sharpay could've sworn that her knees would've buckled underneath her had he not spun her around in his arms. The impact of their hips colliding drove the breath out of her tiny form, and suddenly she was greeted with the manifestation of his arousal. She drew a sharp intake of air as she glanced up at him. It was probably a wrong thing to do for she immediately found herself drowning in the depths of his lust-filled deep blue orbs, his dilated pupils only served to make his irises appear darker.

**(808) Hell Yeaa  
****Drink it up, drink-drink it up,  
****When sober girls around me, they be actin' like they drunk  
****They be actin' like they drunk, actin-actin' like they drunk  
****When sober girls around me they be actin' like they drunk**

The way he looked at her, it was indescribable.

Wordlessly against the fiery glow of his gaze, he took her wrists in his fists and crossed them behind his neck before grazing his palms down the length of her arms to the contoured ridges of her spine where he stopped at the height of her tailbone. Their noses were barely a fraction of an inch apart, and their foreheads were touching, already damp with beads of perspiration. One of those popular chart-topping songs started blaring, and all around them people were singing along but the only thing Sharpay could hear was the carnal sounds of their ragged huffs and muffled moans. Her thumbs were tracing patterns along the sensitive regions beneath his jawline, but when he cupped her rear and gave it a delightful squeeze, she squealed and clawed at his skin, leaving tiny little cresent-shaped indents.

**Poppin****' bottles in the ice, like a blizzard  
****When we drink we do it right gettin' slizzard  
****Sippin' sizzurp in my ride, in my ride, like Three 6  
****Now I'm feelin' so fly like a G6**

He chuckled, pleased with himself for evoking such a reaction out of her.

Furiously blushing, Sharpay narrowed her eyes into slits. With a devilish grin, she thrust her pelvis hard into his crotch, and enjoyed the strangled hiss that came out of his lips.

Their gazes interlocked.

_Game on._

* * *

"Tris, I need your help!"

"What?" the brunette yelled back, still hopping around to the music.

Dan rolled his eyes and tugged on her wrist so that he could pull her over to a quieter area. After a quick glance around, he figured the hallway towards the restroom was sufficient enough. Trista sighed in exasperation and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You have exactly three seconds to convince me as to why I shouldn't murder you right now," she growled menacingly on top of her ever-present intimidating scowl.

"I need your help," he blurted out straight away, knowing he didn't have much time anyways.

She arched an eyebrow in partial indifference, but the slight glint in her gray peepers held a flicker of curiosity as she cocked her head to one side. "What kind of help?" she slowly asked.

**It****'s that 808 bump, make you put yo hands up  
****Make you put yo hands up, put put yo, put yo hands up  
****(You can't t****ouch this)**

"Public humiliation," he said, drawing the words out since he knew it was her specialty. If Sharpay was scheming and devious, Trista served revenge with her eyes closed. They're survivors, all three of them, and life had long taught them to build ammunition for when it was time to charge for battle.

Dan smirked when he saw the familiar crafty expression graze her sharp features almost automatically. Nothing could sober Trista up like a good social takedown. She was swirling her tongue around in her mouth—a habit whenever she was cooking up a plan or weighing her options—and then flicked her jet-black hair out of her face.

"Subject?"

He jerked his head towards the person in question—a brunette, still seated by that small round table nursing a bottle of scotch and scorning at the golden couple in the middle of the dancefloor—and gave Trista a moment to piece the information together. The lassie was going to be a doctor. Figuring this out wouldn't take long at all. Her eyes darted back and forth between the three people—face scrunched up in disgust at the bitter drunk's choice of alcohol—and then it dawned on her. She snorted in that trademark cavalier way of hers and turned back to Dan.

**It****'s that 808 bump, make you put yo hands up  
****Make you put yo hands up, put put yo, put yo hands up  
****(You can't t****ouch this)**

"That her? The Gabzilla?"

He nodded, jamming his hands into the pockets of his denim jeans.

"Are you trying to bust her veins?" Trista snickered, eyeing Gabriella in disgust when she took another hit of the bottle without even bothering to use the shot glass.

Dan laughed. "The show's just starting, baby. I've got a plan."

"Alright, enlighten me."

"I need you to provide visual back-up," he explained. "How much memory do you have in your phone?"

"Enough to provide hilarious entertainment for the entire East High," she informed him, pulling her cellular out from God-knows-where and holding it up.

"You can upload stuff on the internet, right?"

She was fairly amused. "Which century are you from, Dan Patch?"

"Shut up," he huffed melodramatically. "Are you clear what you have to do?"

Trista shrugged her shoulders. "Visual back-up. Easy enough."

"Think you can handle it?" he added just for kicks, enjoying just how easily he could get under her skin. "Lots of responsibility."

"Fuck you."

"Is that the vodka talking?" He was pushing it now, but he couldn't care less. He was having a ball of a time.

"No, but what does my finger say?" she retorted and flashed said offending middle digit in the air.

"Glad to know your alcohol intolerance hasn't hindered your wit," Dan smiled mock innocently at her.

**Hell Yeaaa, make you put yo hands up  
****Make you put yo hands up, put put yo, put yo hands up**

Scoffing, she replied. "Cute, really. Not that I don't enjoy participating in this nonsensical babbling of yours, but I think we should get moving before I start barfing rainbows and unicorns."

"Ouch," he winced, feigning a jab to his heart. "Harsh."

"Oh, my God, Dan, what exactly did you tell Troy to do?" Trista wondered, her jaw dropping as she stared transfixed at the two gyrating bodies in the middle of the crowd.

He looked over, and then wished he hadn't.

_I could've gone without seeing that,_ he thought, feeling his throat constrict as the dull pang in his chest made it that much harder to breathe.

As hard as he tried though, he couldn't tear his gaze away from the two tangled figures. They seemed lost in their own little world, oblivious to the vain attempts of others trying to imitate what they had going on. Even from the distance, Dan could feel the immense sexual tension radiating from the couple, and the aching need in him couldn't help yearning it was his arms that were wrapped around her body. It wasn't normal—the way he was feeling right now—so he made sure to push it out of his head.

"What do you mean?" he said, forcing nonchalance.

"I swear, if Troy's not getting laid tonight his balls are going to turn blue," Trista joked, though her tone came out a tad bit worried. "I can see his boner all the way from over here."

**Hell Yeaaa, make you put yo hands up  
****Make you put yo hands up, put put yo, put yo hands up**

"Right, okay, I don't need to have this conversation with you," Dan said dismissively, and then headed towards to the bar to order another pint of beer for his mildly disturbed soul before strutting over to his targeted victim.

She was still consumed with shooting deathly laser beams when he got up to her, a fresh bottle of hooch in her hand permanently attached to her cherry red lips. He paused for a moment, studying her blackened features, and for a split second cursed jealousy for spawning such ugly pictures. Dan didn't doubt that Gabriella was pretty underneath all that thick make-up and perpetual scowl. She still hadn't noticed his presence so he took it upon himself to slide into the available seat in front of her, completely blocking her view from the scene and plastered on a warm smile.

Gabriella blinked at the intrusion but the power of her glower didn't falter when she fixed her steely gaze straight at him. Lowering her drink, she frowned and arched a well-plucked eyebrow expectantly.

"Hi," he flashed her a mega-watt grin, holding out his right hand. "I'm Dan."

She studied his hand in disinterest and a smidge of disgust but reluctantly offered him the tips of her fingers to shake. "Gabriella."

To say that he was offended would be an understatement.

_What a royal bitch_, he thought while at the same time trying desperately to maintain a genuine smile on his face.

"I'm not disturbing you, am I? I mean, you're fine with me sitting here?"

She brushed it off with careless shrug, and Dan was beginning to wonder if this was going to be worth it. Gabriella was now looking past his shoulder, continuing with her internal murder campaign. It was totally unattractive, not to mention extremely rude. That woman was a turn off, but he figured her issues were going to be a major investment in his plan.

Clearing his throat, he tried again. "So, you here alone?"

She regarded him for a while, contemplating almost, before answering. "No, I'm here with a friend of mine, Taylor."

Dan reckoned he ought to look apologetic. "She ditched you?"

That seemed to tick Gabriella off. Slamming her bottle onto the table, she fumed. "She did _not_ ditch me!"

"So where is she?"

She paused, probably due to the amount of alcohol in her system, and then made some weird faces, as though she was thinking real hard. "I don't know," she admitted at last, mumbling in defeat. Then she sort of grumbled to herself rather incoherently. It would've been quite endearing had she not been the enemy.

Dan took a gulp of his Budweiser, almost spitting it out when she suddenly banged the tabletop with her fist.

"This is her fault!" she sputtered, flaring up again. "That stupid fucking bitch! If she hadn't had that Goddamn fight with Chad about screwing Tim Mitchel, they wouldn't have broken up, she wouldn't have dragged me here and then ran off to play tonsil hockey with some guy she just met, and I wouldn't be stuck here all alone!"

_Angry drunk, here we go._

Gabriella stopped to catch her breath, and then took a final swig of her drink. When she realized her bottle was empty, she flagged down a wandering waitress for another one—this time a Smirnoff—and a shot glass.

**Poppin****' bottles in the ice, like a blizzard  
****When we drink we do it right gettin' slizzard  
****Sippin' sizzurp in my ride, in my ride, like Three 6  
****Now I'm feelin' so fly like a G6**

"Your friend's ex-boyfriend screwed another guy?" It was all he managed to decipher from the string of slurred words, and he wasn't sure if he was surprised by the revelation. He quickly joined the scraps of information together with the ones he'd gotten from Sharpay and laughed.

"What's so funny?" the tipsy brunette demanded.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to," he told her after he'd recovered some. "But you seem like a nice girl, why aren't you out there on the dance floor having fun?"

"Not interested," she snapped, practically seething at this point. Her clear bottle of vodka arrived, and she immediately began knocking back three shots in a row, wincing as the alcohol burned the back of her throat.

"You don't like to dance?"

"Not interested," she repeated flatly, chugging down two more mouthfuls.

"Why not?"

"Can't you just mind your own fucking business?"

**Like a G6, Like a G6  
****Now now now now now now I'm feelin' so fly like a G6**

Dan took a quick peek to make sure Trista was doing her job, and then decided it was time for action. The girl in front of him was gulping down shot after shot like she was drinking water; it was kind of a bust on his manly ego. How such a chick could hold so much liquor was beyond him. He wasn't an alcoholic per se, but Dan would like to consider himself a sober-till-passed-out sort of guy. As Gabriella waved the waitress over for a mug of stout, he wondered if he ought to warn her about alcohol poisoning. The mix in the beverages couldn't possibly do her liver any good.

"Are you sure you don't want to dance?" he asked again, leaning his forearm on the cool surface of the table.

"Yes," she stubbornly replied, expertly twirling the shot glass.

"So then why are you glaring at that blonde girl and her boyfriend?"

Gabriella froze.

Eyes still glued to the couple ahead, he could see her jaws twitch as she clenched and unclenched them.

"He's not her boyfriend," she said through gritted teeth.

_Bingo._

Tilting his head, Dan tried his best to appear curious instead of amused. "Really? How'd you know that?"

"Because she's a fucking doxy, that's why," she spat out venomously. "That whoring bitch stole _my_ boyfriend."

"That dude's your boyfriend?"

"Not anymore, he's not." Her mug of beer arrived and she quickly downed half of it. "Frankly, I don't even know what he sees in her," she continued, full-on rambling mode. "I mean, yeah, so what if she's blonde, she sounds like a suffocating cat everytime she opens her _trouty_ mouth to sing. And don't get me started on her dancing, I swear I can do twice as well with crutches on. Look at that!" Gabriella gestured wildly towards the general direction of the crowd. "Come on, that's _so_ not the way to play a guy."

**Like a G6, Like a G6  
****Now now now now now now I'm feelin' so fly like a G6**

Dan was slowly failing to keep a straight face, but he knew his defenses were slowly crippling with each insult.

"Besides, she's so fucking stupid." That girl was on a roll. "I'm an A-List student. I have Ivy League schools from across the country just begging for me. What does she have? That slut couldn't even pass elementary math if she tried. I'd have more luck teaching a damn chimp to do calculus than that pea-brain. Seriously, she prances around in all that pink…what the _fuck_ is her deal? What is she, three? And all that sequins, that git is like a fucking disco ball on heels! But, do you know what's pathetic?"

"What?"

"That she needed to throw herself at him and then steal what I had. She's obviously jealous of me, and clearly she's threatened of my superiority when I took the lead role from her in that dumb play." Gabriella paused to cackle in an annoyingly witch-worthy manner that made Dan cringe. "I didn't even give a shit about that, I just wanted to piss her off so bad for trying to make a move on my man."

"So then what happened?"

"She probably sucked his dick, humped him like a rabbit on steroids, I don't know," she shrugged her shoulders again. "And Troy's just too damn blind to realize that she's just using him to get back up on top of the social ladder. Whatever, she's just a boyfriend-stealing bitch. Right now, I just want to blow her head up with a gun."

**Poppin****' bottles in the ice, like a blizzard  
****When we drink we do it right gettin' slizzard  
****Sippin' sizzurp in my ride, in my ride, like Three 6  
****Now I'm feelin' so fly like a G6**

Dan tried to figure out if she was serious about that, but after a few seconds studying her reddened face, clearly drunk out of her wits, he was assured that she wasn't psychotic enough to follow through to her actions.

"Well, clearly he liked being seduced by her, then," he pointed out as innocently as possible.

Her unfocused eyes, glazed and wide were set on him, solemnness falling upon her profile. "So you agree with me that she seduced him and then stole him from me?"

"Yeah, but who can blame him, right?" Dan craned his neck around and swiped a hand down Sharpay's form. "She's gorgeous! I definitely wouldn't mind being seduced by her."

Gabriella wrinkled her nose. "But she's such a whore."

"Any guy would be crazy to not want to fuck that piece of work."

"What about me?" she screeched, appalled that she was once more being compared to the blonde. "Am I not fuck-worthy?"

"Truthfully?"

"Yes!"

Dan pouted his lips and pretended to contemplate on the answer. "You're…different."

"Different?" her voice went up another notch. "How different?"

"You're…pretty," he said tentatively. "But you're not spontaneous enough. Guys dig it when girls surprise them from time to time, you know."

"What do you mean? I'm spontaneous!"

"Then what are you doing sitting here alone?" She stopped short, mouth agape in the midst of forming a word. "Exactly," he went on. "That girl's just oozing with sexual tension, there's testosterone all over the floor."

"Hey!" she cut in, jabbing a finger into his chest. "I can be sexy too, you know."

"Then why is your ex-boyfriend with her?" He hooked his thumb over his shoulder, not daring to have another glance at the couple for fear of his shattering heart.

**Like a G6, Like a G6  
****Now now now now now now I'm feelin' so fly like a G6**

"For your information, _pal_, I can get him back if I wanted to."

_Check and mate._

"Go for it, then."

As fate would have it, just at the moment, Sharpay left in the direction of the washroom while Troy headed for the bar. Grinning triumphantly, Gabriella jumped to her feet and ran—well, hobbled, really—over to the guy. Dan watched with uncontained laughter as she promptly launched herself clumsily into his arms and smothered the poor jock with a sloppy kiss on his lips. Instantly, Troy's face contorted in loathsome repulse and shoved her away as though she was disease-ridden. They started arguing, with Gabriella latching onto Troy's shirt while he desperately attempted to pry her off him, and Dan figured he didn't want to miss the action so he grabbed his beer and walked over.

He didn't get close when she suddenly paused and clamped a hand over her mouth. Then, she was sprinting past him, practically tripping over her stilettos towards the toilet with Trista on her tail, her camera phone catching every second of the episode.

"Okay, I don't know how you put up with her before, but she's a nightmare," Dan said to Troy.

"That was disgusting, dude," Troy grumbled, fervently scrubbing his infected lips with the sleeves of his button-down. "How much did she have?"

"I don't know, I sort of lost count after her third shot," Dan snickered. He spied Sharpay making her way back to the dance floor and let out a shrill whistle to grab her attention. She spun around on her heels and he signaled her over, a dubious look on her face. "Hey, Shar, what's up?"

"Funny thing, I thought I just saw Gabriella."

Both boys exchanged knowing glances but didn't say anything.

"You want a drink, Shar?" Dan offered. "I can go get you a pop."

She smiled appreciatively up at him, her hazel eyes twinkling. "Sure, Dan, thanks."

He turned to the bartender and ordered the beverage for her. Trista returned a few minutes later, a huge, accomplished grin overtaking her features.

"I got it!" she cheered.

"You got what?" Sharpay asked, taking a sip of her soda.

"This." Trista held her phone up and they huddled around as she played back the recording. She fast-forwarded to the part where Gabriella had forced herself onto Troy, and Dan noticed how Sharpay's eyebrows sprung up in surprise but didn't comment on it. The screen shifted to a shot of Gabriella's back as she dashed towards the washroom.

"Hang on, it gets better here," Trista informed them, snickering.

The door to the toilet flew open to reveal a slightly disheveled Taylor.

And then Gabriella threw up all over her friend's squeaky-clean shoes.

Dan and Troy made gagging sounds while Trista laughed at Taylor's stunned reaction.

"Oh, my God!" Sharpay squealed. "What did—"

Dan wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "That's your solution, Shar."

"What do you mean?"

"That's going up on YouTube," Troy explained with a smirk. "I know it's not going to help much, but at least it'll take the attention off you for a while."

"I can't believe this," Sharpay giggled.

"And send," Trista announced, clearly satisfied with her accomplishment.

Dan felt his phone beep a few seconds later, and apparently so did Troy and Sharpay. The three of them whipped their respective devices out and began checking on the updates. At the corner of his eyes, Dan saw Troy forward the video to almost everyone on his contact list and chuckled. Then he checked on Sharpay, who was secretly smiling, though he knew that look on her face, the coat of sheen only illuminating her features even more.

Bending forward, he whispered in her ear. "Are you okay?"

"Never been better."

**Like a G6, Like a G6  
****Now now now now now now I'm feelin' so fly like a G6**

* * *

"Shar, do you have some tissue paper that I can stuff her mouth with?" Dan asked from the backseat, the annoyance apparent in his tone. "Fuck, is she drooling on me?"

Troy glanced at the reflection on the rearview mirror and saw that Trista was leaning her head on Dan's shoulder, completely out cold and snoring softly. Sharpay, resuming her role as the designated driver, just giggled in that adorable was of hers as wisps of blonde hair danced across her face. She had rolled the windows down, stating that the fresh air would help sober them up somewhat. Troy probably didn't need it since he hadn't been drinking much, but Dan pretty much had to give Trista a piggy-back ride to the car.

"Damnit, Tris!" Dan hissed, and then Troy heard a thud.

"What was that?" Sharpay demanded.

"Fuck you, Dan Patch!"

_Looks like she's wide awake now,_ Troy thought. Craning his neck around, Troy found the feisty brunette giving the other guy the stink eye while she rubbed her cheek with one hand, a slight bruise already starting to appear. "What happened?" he asked.

"The son of a bitch pushed me!" she yelled, very much sobered up now, scooting away from the dude. "Why'd you do that, you asshole?"

"You were flooding my shirt with your saliva," he informed her sourly, pointing to the wet spot above his chest.

"That doesn't mean you can maul my face to the window," she snapped and then rolled her eyes, mumbling something along the lines of "pussy".

Then it got quiet in the car once again, so Troy reached over and switched the radio on. It was tuned to a country music station. He recognized the song that was playing and hummed along to the tune, gazing out at the passing houses, realizing the late hour but enjoying the calm and peace as the cool breeze brushed against his warm face. Finally, he allowed himself to blank his thoughts out as a contented sigh escaped his lips. And then he was aware that a second, more feminine voice had joined him in harmony, their voices blending together perfectly. Looking away from the window, his cerulean blue eyes met her bright hazel ones for a split second before she returned her attention back to the road, a small easy-going smile fluttering on her pert lips. It spurred him on to start singing, pleasantly surprised that he actually knew the lyrics. Sharpay laughed—the most melodic sound he'd ever heard—and then she was singing along with him.

"For fuck's sake, you two, just get married already," Trista commented crankily from behind.

"Hung over, Tris?" Sharpay shot back good-naturedly. "Already?"

Dan cracked up and in turn triggered Troy's own sniggers even though he felt he ought to be offended. Before Trista could come back with a decent retort, however, Sharpay was pulling over by the curb in front of an apartment complex. It didn't look too shabby, and unlike the ones he'd seen at Treshold Park, the red-bricked building was still very much intact. Looking around, Troy reckoned that they were probably at the outskirts of town, but he could be wrong.

_It's like survival of the fittest here._

"Later, bitches!" Trista slinked out of the convertible and jogged up the steps, giving one final backwards wave before she pushed the door open and entered the lobby.

There was a huge, wet sigh of relief as Dan sunk back into the lush leather seat. "I thought she'd never leave," he groaned. "No offense, Shar, I like that girl but she drives me up the wall!"

"Well, it was your bright idea to get her drunk, wasn't it?" she pointed out, quirking an eyebrow.

"Worse idea ever."

Sharpay got them back on the road and headed for the highway. It wasn't long till she turned into a driveway of a moderate-sized beach house with a neatly trimmed lawn, and stopped in front of the garage, killing the engine.

_So this is where Dan lives,_ Troy thought, studying the cobblestone pathway leading up to the front porch. In the silent of the night he could hear the distant sounds of the ocean. _Not bad at all._

"Alright, see you soon, dude," Dan said, reaching over to give Troy a firm pat on the biceps. "Take care."

"You too. Hey, thanks for the drinks, man."

The other guy winked. "Anytime."

"Hey, wait up," Sharpay called out, unbuckling her seatbelt. To Troy, she gave an apologetic smile. "Give me a minute, okay?"

Troy shrugged and pretended that it meant no big deal. "Sure."

She got out of the car and jogged unnecessarily to catch up with her best friend even though Dan was waiting for her, twirling his key ring around a finger. Troy frowned a little in his seat, observing how Sharpay's arm automatically curled around Dan's waist like it was the most natural thing on the planet, and wondered if the man was the reason why she didn't want to be with him. It was a possibility, because no matter what those two claimed to be, Troy knew that it was impossible for a guy and a girl to be just friends.

Or _best_ friends.

Especially if they were both attracted to each other.

* * *

The wooden floorboards creaked beneath their feet as they climbed up the steps to stand in front of the door. Sharpay released her hold on him and looked up at his roguishly handsome face. His sandy blonde hair was in a ruggedly ruffled mess and there was a slight growth of stubble on his chin, but his strikingly blue eyes—so different from Troy's—were still alert, though marginally glassy with the after effects of alcohol. There was a lopsided grin upon his lips and the way he was looking at her, it was special.

Nobody had looked at her quite like he had.

But then again, nobody knew her quite like he did either.

"Thank you so much, Dan, for tonight and for everything else, actually. You're amazing. I had a really great time."

He tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "You're welcome, Shar. I'm just glad you had fun. How are things with you and Troy? Did you two work it out?"

"No, not really…" she trailed off.

"What?" Dan feigned shock. "You guys didn't talk at all on the dance floor?"

Sharpay playfully smacked his arm. "Shut up. And I so totally knew that it was you behind that prank on Gabriella."

"Really, now? Who told you that?"

"Oh, please," she scoffed. "Playing the jealous ex-girlfriend card by asking Troy to dance with me? That has your fingerprints all over it, not to mention how only you would think of something so cheesy and clichéd."

"Prove me wrong, Shar, but I think you actually enjoyed dancing with Troy," he teasingly accused, nudging her in the side.

"It was okay," she mumbled admittedly, blushing as she recalled how wonderful it had felt to be in Troy's arms, even though they were practically molesting each other in public, groping and grinding inappropriately.

"Just okay?" He arched an eyebrow knowingly at her.

God, sometimes she just hated how he knew her so well, that pain in the ass.

"Fine," she sighed reluctantly, figuring that it was pointless anyway, trying to lie to her best friend. "I really enjoyed it, okay? There, I said it, happy?"

Dan chuckled and then leaned over and enveloped her in a warm hug. "Alright, then, take care, Shar," he murmured softly. "And don't think I didn't know you swapped my credit card with yours."

Sharpay giggled into his neck.

_Busted._

"At the rate Tris was drinking, you'd be broke by now."

"Broke on booze, that's the life, right?" he said, a glimmer of mischief in his cyan eyes as he pulled away.

"Sure, because you live out of the back of your van, touring with your band mates and hooking up with random girls every night," she countered sarcastically. "You're the epitome of a hedonistic life."

"What's wrong with that?" he tilted his head, smiling, but his tone had turned serious. "You only live once."

Sharpay stared back at him wistfully, seeing the fear and sadness ghosting his features, blanketing his ever-present jovial demeanor with a coat of emotion, and her heart broke just then thinking how it was hurting him. Perhaps he was still slightly buzzed from the alcohol because so much honesty and vulnerability wouldn't have emerged had he been fully sober. Not knowing how to respond to his comment, Sharpay stood up on her tiptoes and placed a sweet, lingering kiss on his cheek.

"Good night, Dan Patch."

"Good night, little doe."

* * *

That little peck—as innocent as it seemed—didn't go unnoticed. After all that had happened tonight, he couldn't say that it didn't hurt—especially since they had been pretty intimate on the club. Troy sunk back further into the seat and tried not to pout like a fucking six-year-old as Sharpay made her way back to the car. She slid behind the wheel wordlessly, her expression neutral and composed, and then fired up the engine. She backed out of the driveway and hit the road once again.

Troy didn't want to think about it.

He _couldn't_ think about it, for he knew that the moment he did he'd be in so much trouble.

However, _not_ thinking about it wouldn't make him a hormonal-imbalanced teenager, now, would it?

So, he decided to think about something else—something that would distract him enough to calm the growing bulge in his pants.

Something like, his father, perhaps.

The image of Coach Bolton that popped into his head was enough to eliminate any stimulating thoughts that were stirring in his mind, and his groin. It was completely annoying how his dad wouldn't trust him, or at least cut him some slack. For the majority of time, Troy was rather well behaved. He didn't smoke, he didn't do drugs, he wasn't involved in some drug smuggling syndicate…he was pretty much the kind of kid any parent would be proud to have, so it was difficult understanding why his folk was so hard on him. Sure, he wasn't academically gifted—in fact, he barely scraped through his classes—but he figured he more than made up for it in basketball. He'd led his team to so many countless victories, there wasn't a tiny bit doubt he would receive a scholarship for sports.

But then he'd envision the disapproving frown on his old man's face every time he returned home and wondered what it was that he hadn't done enough of.

"Troy? Troy!"

Her voice jolted him out of his reverie. "What?"

She gestured out the window and he realized that she had parked in front of his house. He let out a dreaded sigh, not exactly wanting to leave just yet but knowing he couldn't hide out in her car forever.

"Oh," he muttered. "I guess I should…go."

"Wait, hang on," Sharpay stopped him just as he had his hand poised on the door handle. "Don't forget that we promised Carmen we'd head down to the orphanage tomorrow."

Troy had to pretend like he hadn't completely forgotten about it, but internally he was kicking himself for it. "Right, I remembered."

To her credit, Sharpay didn't look like she believed him at all. "So I was thinking maybe we bring the children out to a nearby park and have a picnic, you know, give them some fresh air."

Now Troy was feeling really bad. There Sharpay was, thinking about the orphanage and being this amazing person while he was being the biggest jerk to forget the promise that he was the one to make.

"That sounds cool," he nodded, trying to appear enthusiastic.

Unfortunately, she noticed his lack of interest and her face fell slightly. "You don't like it?"

"No, no!" he blurted out. "I really like the idea, I think it's fantastic. I just wish I'd thought of it first. You're absolutely right, those kids need to go outside and have fun." Sharpay looked uncertain still, so he reckoned he ought to at least offer some sort of service. "Listen, let me help you with those. I'll go pick up the groceries tomorrow and then meet you at your place. We can put together sandwiches or something."

"No offense, Troy, but I think you'll be extremely hung over tomorrow. You probably wouldn't even want to get out of bed." The patronizing tone she was using only served to make him feel like an even bigger loser.

"Look, I can do this, okay," he insisted. "I _want_ to do this."

"You sure?"

Troy nodded.

Heck, he didn't know how he was going to do it come morning, but he couldn't let her down again. She really trusted him this time.

"Alright, just give me a call when you get there and I'll let you know what to get, okay?" she informed him.

"Sure."

She gave him a small smile—that exclusive one reserved just for him—and Troy reckoned he wouldn't mind waking up to that every day. "Erm…Shar?"

"Yes?"

"I just—" He took a deep breath. "I just want to apologize again for earlier, with Chad and all—I didn't mean for that to happen, and I've screwed up, I know, but I'll do whatever it takes to fix it and for you to forgive me."

Sharpay glanced away for a second and Troy wondered if he'd said something wrong.

_Did I come on too strong?_

But then she leaned over the gearshift and wrapped her arms around his neck in a semi-awkward hug, which Troy eagerly accepted and reciprocated.

"Thank you."

* * *

**A/N:** So! I'm not sure if you've figured out why this is my favourite update, but I'll tell you anyway. LOL! I had so much fun writing Gabriella's humiliation, I actually couldn't stop! I had to tell myself, "okay, I think that's a little bit too much" and move on with the story. So, ultimately, I think there's a development in all the characters, don't you?

Now, on with the reviews! Thank you so much for those who've taken time and effort to review! It means a lot to me! Love you guys!

**62toasters62:** Hi there! No worries about not reviewing. The important thing is that you did review and I'd like to thank you for taking precious time off to do that :D I'm glad that my updates still excite you! :P I know that Sharpay's secret is so hidden but it's coming soon, alright, just bear with me for a bit. Troypay gets interesting soon, I promise! Dan is a straightforward yet complicated character, I would like to think so. I wanted to keep some of his characteristics from Hellcats but yet still make it my own. Hope you've enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think :D

**ILoveZacEfron27:** Hello there! Thank you so much for leaving a review, and I'm happy to know you like the story :D I know, Dan's so swoon-worthy, isn't he? He's such a gentleman, and a totally awesome best friend to have! Hope you like this update!

**F:** Hi! Thank you for reviewing!

**Duhhitskatieox:** Hello! LOL! I love that you started your review with 3 "ohmygod"s. Reminds me of me whenever I read an ultra cool story :P Well, Dan obviously loves her, just that, in what way exactly? We'll find out soon, yeah? Hope you liked this chapter as well! Looking forward to your review :D

**Xcreamchip:** Hi! I've always love receiving reviews from you! It always makes my day! No worries on not reviewing, the important thing is that you did review, and I'm thankful for that. Aww…thank you so much for your awesome comments! –blush- You know just the right words to say! I know what you mean about Sharpay finally admitting that she wants to be with Troy, that girl is so indecisive sometimes, it gets frustrating, don't you think? About Dan's feelings, no comments :P Your reviews are never boring, and it definitely motivates me to keep writing :D Hope this chapter satisfies you! Let me know what you think :D

**19LoVeSpeLL93:** Thank you for reviewing! Hope you've enjoyed this update! I know it's been lacking in Troypay interactions, but I'm sure this chapter makes up for it somewhat? Keep reviewing! I love to know what my readers think of my updates! :D

**TheDude47:** First of all, thank you SO much! You're like my beacon in the dark (okay, cheesy, I know…) I am very aware that I've neglected the Troypayness in the previous chapter, but I hope this one gives a little kick to some juicy moments between the two of them :D I had to cool down for a bit as I was writing because the images were getting too vivid in my head…LOL! Let me know what you think about this update! Always a pleasure to receive reviews from you!

**Nikita jain:** I've missed your reviews! You're always spot on with your assumptions :P Haha, I know what you mean! It can only escalate from here on, and I can guarantee you it's going to get steamy. I know, the best friend always doesn't get the girl, right? I'll try not to, and they're teenagers, and I might be watching a bit too much Glee at the moment so there are some pent up teenage angst inside me. Either way, I hope you've enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I thoroughly enjoyed writing it! Can't wait for your review!

**Anna:** Hi there! It's always nice to hear from new readers about my story. I'm glad that you like it so far :D Yes, Sharpay is somehow sort of torturing Troy, but she has her reasons, and sometimes Troy's just asking for it, doesn't he? Thank you for the lovely comments! Let me know what you think about this chapter, yeah?

**xSuchAHotMess:** Hi there! Thank you for the comment and for reviewing!

**CharminglyShar:** LOL! No worries about that because the important thing is that you did read it and then reviewed! Thank you so much for your wonderful comments! Hope you've enjoyed reading this chapter!

Song used — "Like a G6" by Far East Movement feat. Dev


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N:**Yes! I'm still alive! And I'm again, so terribly sorry for the long wait. I know it must be tiring, and I apologise for that. My life's a bit crazy at the moment, and I sneaking in some writing time at work, so I hope I don't sound too sloppy with my writing this time round. Just a tiny spoiler: You guys are in for a crazy whirlwind of Troypay goodness!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 30**

"Are you sure that's everything?" Troy asked, glancing down at the grocery cart in front of him as he waited in line for the cashier, his cellphone tucked between his ear and shoulder. His other free hand scrambled to locate the wallet in his pocket.

"That should be all," Sharpay replied form the other end of the receiver. "If not, we can always pop by the gas station on the way to Zashley."

"Yeah, sure, sounds good," he agreed distractedly, rifling around to make sure he had enough money on him. The lady behind him cleared her throat extra loudly and Troy realized that he was next in line, nevertheless annoyed that she was making his carelessness known to the entire supermarket. "Alright then I'll see you later."

"Be careful," she cautioned.

Troy could hear the concern in her voice and it brought a huge smile to his face. "I will, Shar," he promised. "Bye."

"Bye."

He hung up the phone, slid it into his pants and mumbled an apology to the impatient-looking woman who had chastised him, not missing the fact that she was carrying a basket filled with five big tubs of chocolate ice cream—at eight in the morning, no less—and assumed she was probably going through a bitter mid-life crisis. Then he unloaded the groceries in his cart and set them on the moving belt, grinning warmly to the cashier as she rung up his purchase. It totaled up to fifty-three dollars and sixty-five cents. His heart squeezed a little since he hadn't exactly received his monthly allowance yet and he was running low on dough, but he quickly pushed those selfish worries aside, knowing that it was going to be worth it.

Hell, he wouldn't mind going broke if it meant that he'd be able to fulfill his promise to Sharpay and get her to trust him again. He would save on gas, walk to school or take the public transport, pack his own lunch…

Whatever it would take.

After paying for the items, Troy carried the two bags out to his car, wincing at the brightness of the ungodly hour as he nursed the remains of his hangover from the night before.

It was a miracle he hadn't woken up that morning and smashed his alarm clock against the wall. For a moment he had wondered what had possessed him to perform such a feat, considering the extreme pounding in his head, and it wasn't till he was about to return back to the realm of sleep did it occur to him what that day meant. He had jumped out of bed like a cat on hot bricks and managed to stumble into the bathroom without causing any bodily harm to himself. The scalding hot shower hadn't helped in relieving his headache, but he was rather glad he hadn't needed to puke. He figured it was probably because he hadn't eaten much at all before Sharpay had whisked him away. Those complimentary mixed nuts that they were given weren't much to fill anything, anyway. He'd gone down to the kitchen to knock back some Tylenol, thankful that his parents were already out for the day. He didn't need another ugly confrontation regarding his whereabouts and slightly skewed judgments. After grabbing two bananas, Troy had headed for Walmart.

Troy rolled into the Evans' circular driveway twenty minutes later. He parked the car, got the two bags out and walked up to the entrance to press the bell. The door opened half a minute later to reveal a radiantly beaming Sharpay, dressed in a pair of shorts and a bright pink tank top that accentuated her sensuous curves and her tanned, well-toned arms and legs. Her blonde hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and she looked like she had been awake for quite some time. Golden hazel brown eyes twinkled up at him like rays of sunshine.

_My, __God._ He swallowed hard, not exactly prepared for so much visual assault this early in the morning. _She__'__s __going __to __be __the __death __of __me._

"Hi, Troy," she said in her trademark cheerful way. "Come on in."

"Hey, Shar," he managed to croak out.

She stepped aside and allowed him to enter. Instantly, he was greeted with the sweet, mouth-watering aroma wafting from the kitchen and he turned to her with a slightly hopeful expression. "Smells good. Is something baking?"

Sharpay shrugged modestly as she closed the door. "They're just chocolate chip cookies," she explained, leading the way. "The kids love them."

"You're making chocolate chip cookies?" He was more amazed than he was skeptical, because quite frankly, where did that girl even find the time? Had she been up at the crack of dawn?

"Well, technically I'm just baking them," she told him. "Mrs. Collingsworth had some leftover cookie dough sitting around in the fridge and so I thought, you know, why not? It's not like I'll end up eating them anyway, and Ryan's usually not home."

This was nice.

An easy conversation.

Not much, but it was a good start. The awkwardness that he'd feared of wasn't there, and it appeared that the previous night's events hadn't done anything to change their friendship.

Troy held back a grimace. Couldn't say it didn't occur to him once or twice—or every freaking minute—that he'd actually hoped it had affected—if not a lot, but at least a little bit—their somewhat twisted relationship in more ways than this seemingly platonic one. The image of them together—the satisfying feel of her silky skin against his, her soft complying body molding with his—it burned in his brains with a promise of never dissipating.

How could she have not felt it?

Their undeniable connection.

Then again, Sharpay had always been a master at disguising her true emotions.

There were already two batches of goodies sitting on the cooling rack on the kitchen island, and a third one still in the oven. As Troy set the bags of food on the marble counter, Sharpay resumed with spreading more batter on an empty tray. It was too tempting not to, so he stuck his finger into the bowl of mixture, only to have his hand slapped away before he could dip it in.

"Ouch!"

"Away from the cookie dough," she warned.

"Do you need some help?" he asked, moving to stand beside her, observing as she skillfully dropped a generous amount of dough to form a perfect circle.

She paused and glanced around the tabletop, a thoughtful expression on her angelic features, slightly gnawing on her bottom lip, and God help him, she was gorgeous. At this rate, he wouldn't be able to last an hour before he'd give in to temptation and ravage her on the kitchen floor.

"You can cling-wrap the cookies if you want—"

"Great!" he blurted out, enthusiastically rubbing his palms together. "I'll do that."

Sharpay grinned and handed him the roll of plastic film. "Don't forget to wash your hands," she reminded him.

After thoroughly scrubbing in between the grooves of his fingers and underneath his trimmed nails twice with soap, Troy got to work immediately, cutting out plastic squares and carefully wrapping the cookies that had cooled down on the rack. They carried on their tasks in comfortable silence, but every few seconds or so he would sneak a peek at her, noticing how her pink tongue would stick out a bit whenever she was concentrating. The timer went off with a loud _ding_. Sharpay drew on her mitts and pulled the fresh batch out of the oven. She set it down on the counter and then slid another tray in. Armed with a spatula, she cautiously transferred the newly baked biscuits onto the cooling rack.

Troy had unconsciously stopped and stared.

Watching her in the kitchen never ceased to mesmerize him.

There was just something so domestic about it that turned him on.

He felt the sudden strain in his trousers and cursed his teenage hormones. Now was totally not the time for such urges to be displayed to the entire universe—especially not to a specific blonde girl—so he discreetly cleared his throat and pressed himself into the side of the counter trying to hide his arousal, cringing ever so slightly as his member got partially squashed.

_Fuck, that was unpleasant._

The sound of running water jolted him back to reality, and he realized that she had stuck the hot tray under the tap to lower the temperature before she could resume with the final batch of cookies. His hands were still poised in mid-air from when he had paused to gape at her, and he hastily finished that one up. She had gone ahead and finished preparing the last batch when he was done wrapping the rest of the goodies.

"Alright, done!" he announced, proudly inspecting his work.

"Looks good," Sharpay remarked, wiping her hands with a paper towel. She randomly picked one of his creations up to examine and then nodded in approval. "You free now?"

"Yeah, sure. Anything else you want me to do?"

She stood there for a moment; one hand propped on her hip and glanced over at the bag of groceries. "Can you do a light rinse on the ham slices?" she requested. Troy figured he must've looked clueless because she went on to explain. "I know it sort of loses the flavor, but I'm quite particular when it comes to the kids, and I don't want anything contaminating them. So why don't you just put the slices on a strainer and let the water run for a bit?"

"Right, okay."

After rummaging for a while, he finally found the packets of sliced ham in the bag along with the vegetables.

"Do you want to rinse out the lettuce and tomatoes as well?" he questioned.

"Yes please. Just rinse them separately and I'll cut up the tomatoes."

He got those done without wasting any time, knowing that his efficiency would somehow impress her, probably. After making sure that his ham slices were still intact and not soggy, he left them aside and proceeded to start washing the vegetables. The tomatoes were fairly simple, but he didn't know how to go about rinsing the lettuce.

"Hey, Shar?"

She was extracting the cheese slices from the refrigerator and turned around when she heard him call her name. "Hmm?"

"Should I peel the layers off first and then rinse them?" he asked, holding the vegetable up. "Or can I just, like, soak the whole thing in water?"

"Just peel the layers off and rinse them after," she instructed and gestured for the bowl of tomatoes. "Hand those over, please."

He passed it to her as she set the cheese down on the counter. Pulling out a cutting board and a knife from the storage cupboard below the center island, she began slicing the tomatoes with ease, handling the task—and the cutting tool—with surprisingly great expertise.

"You cook often?" he wanted to know as he continued with his errand.

Without looking up, she replied, "now and then. I used to like hanging out with Mrs. C in the kitchen and help out."

Troy didn't know why, but he felt the need to carry on with this small talk. "You're pretty good with the knife," he commented, immediately regretting his words when they ended up sounding rather lame.

From her side profile, he saw her grin. "Thanks."

_Okay that's a dead end._

"Erm…am I doing this correctly?"

_Again, lame._

Sharpay didn't even glance his way before assuring him that he wasn't screwing up the vegetable. "You're doing fine, Troy."

And then he couldn't think of anything more to say.

_Well, this is just sad. I'm now officially a loser._

"Are you done with those?" she questioned, eyeing the well-washed lettuce leaves sitting in a strainer.

"Oh, yeah," he stuttered back, uncertain as to why he was utterly flustered.

"Great! So why don't you go grab the wholemeal bread and we can start putting the sandwiches together?" she said.

They began putting the sandwiches together, aligning the ingredients like an assembly line in the middle of the counter, with the two teenagers standing at opposite lengths so that they wouldn't get in each other's way. It was simple, practically idiot-proof.

_Bread, lettuce, ham, cheese, tomato, bread, wrap. Fuck this up, Bolton, and you might as well just jump off a cliff._

Five minutes later, Troy was just on his second sandwich. Turns out, it was trickier than he thought, especially when he had to cling wrap the sandwich and still keep it in one neat piece. Every time he tried flipping the sandwich around, things kept falling out on him, like the tomatoes, or the bread, and it was driving him nuts. Sharpay already had four neatly wrapped sandwiches stacked up on her side without any form of difficulty, and he wondered if she had some sort of hidden super powers that he didn't know about.

She must've sensed his struggle. "Maybe you should try putting the sandwich on top of the cling wrap instead of the other way around," she suggested.

_Damn, why didn't I think of that?_

It was definitely a lot easier, and five minutes later he'd almost caught up with her.

"You okay there, Troy?"

"Yeah." Just then, an idea struck. "Hey, Shar, do you want to make things interesting?"

She tilted her head in that incredibly adorable way of hers. "What do you mean?"

"Let's play a game," he proposed, smiling. "The person who makes the most sandwiches wins."

Sharpay laughed. "Wins what?"

Troy thought about it for a moment. "If I win, you'll have to kiss me."

At that, she playfully rolled her hazel eyes, though the grin never left her lips. "And if I win, you're on trash duty."

"Why does it feel like I'll be on trash duty either way?" he teased.

"Where's the satisfaction in that?" she winked impishly.

"Alright, you're on," Troy agreed, cracking his knuckles and exaggeratedly stretching his neck as he shook his shoulders to loosen the muscles. "On three. One."

Sharpay adjusted her poise, her hands already hovering above the bread. "Two."

"Three."

It got chaotic, and after a while, Troy didn't even know if he was piling the sandwiches on right. Hands were clashing, vegetables were scattered all over the marble countertop, cheese slices became out-of-shape pieces, and Troy was pretty sure he'd left handprints on a couple of sandwiches when he was wrapping them up. The stakes were high, and he was adamant on getting his reward—especially since Sharpay hadn't exactly disapproved of it.

As much as he'd promised her the space she wanted, Troy knew that there was no harm in having a little fun while he waited on her decision.

"Done!" he exclaimed fifteen minutes later.

"Not so fast, Troy. You have to count them."

His sandwiches totaled up to eighteen.

"Sixteen."

Troy's triumphant grin couldn't be any wider if he tried, but Sharpay was wrinkling her nose in discontent. She peered over at his work and gingerly picked one up, inspecting the haphazard package with slight horror etched in her flawless features.

"The fuck is this?"

"Hey, the game didn't state that it had to be perfect," he defended. "Besides, it's still edible and I'm sure the kids will eat them anyway."

She shot him an incredulous look. "This doesn't count."

"Hey now, Shar, don't be a sore loser."

Her expression turned sour. "I'm not a sore loser," she said, her tone an octave higher than usual. "You're just making ugly sandwiches."

"I still win," he shrugged. "If you'd specified that it had to look presentable and not just edible—"

"This doesn't even look edible," she shrieked, waving the thing around in front of his face. It was an exaggeration of course; for the only defect in the sandwich was that it came out a little too flat.

"Just let me kiss you, alright?" he blurted out in frustration. "Sharpay, I just want to kiss you."

"Why?"

Troy sighed, hanging his head in shame. "I don't know. I mean—last night, everything was hazy and then we were dancing together, and just—I don't know, Shar—damn, look at you," he swept his hand, gesturing over at her figure. "You're gorgeous, and you do these things to me and—and the way you look at me—all I want to do is just kiss you."

He had left her speechless.

"May I?" he whispered, although he was already leaning across the center island.

She just nodded wordlessly; their gazes interlocked and Troy could see the level of hesitation swimming in the pools of her golden orbs, wondering if she could hear the rapid beating of his heart as his breathing turned shallow.

"You sure?"

Sharpay bobbed her head again with more certainty. He trailed his cerulean blue eyes down to her luscious lips—so plump and inviting—and before he could stop himself, he'd reached up and traced the soft contours of her mouth. She let out a small gasp—a sound so precious, he had to take a moment to savour it—and then dove in to bridge the gap between them, cupping the side of her face with his palm as he poured all he wanted to tell her in that kiss. All coherent thoughts flew out of his mind, replaced by the overwhelming sensations surging through his nerves that were sending his body on sensory overload.

Hallelujah, he was home.

The kiss itself, it was chaste, but oh so soft and sweet.

It was perfect.

"Shar…"

Slowly she pulled away, calm and collected, and he allowed his hand to drop back down grasp the edge of the counter as he came back down from that roller coaster ride. "Shit," he murmured, and then realized he might have a problem with a certain anatomy of his. "Shit, shit, shit."

"Are you okay?"

_Like I'd been hit by a fucking truck and gone to heaven._

"Give me a sec," he said, his voice straining with effort. "I need to…"

The timer went off again, and Sharpay hastily attended to the cookies in the oven, transferring them onto the cooling rack.

"God, Shar, were you trying to kill me?" he muttered, finally recovering from the sudden high.

She dumped the empty tray into the sink and smirked at him, though Troy didn't miss the hint of a blush that had crept into her cheeks. "You wanted to kiss me."

"Yeah, but I didn't want to die," he joked.

"You asked for it," she pointed out.

He chuckled. "I did, didn't I?"

Her only response was a vague smile, and then she crossed the kitchen to grab a box of zip-lock bags from a cupboard at the far corner. Retrieving the leftover cling wrap, he began bundling up the newest batch of cookies.

"Troy…"

"Yes?"

"I—never mind."

That sparked his interest as he snapped his eyes up to meet hers. "What is it?"

"No, forget it," she shook her head, as though dispelling the thought. "It's nothing. Could you help me pack the sandwiches and cookies into these bags?"

"Of course." His answer was instant, but his mind lingered on the many possibilities. Either way, he didn't press on the subject, knowing that she would tell him on her own accord whenever she felt comfortable.

"Sharpay…"

"Yes?"

"Thank you," he told her sincerely.

"For what?"

"For letting me kiss you."

"You're welcome."

For the next several minutes, the two high school seniors occupied themselves with putting together food packs for the children. When that was done, they arranged the bags into a big basket, throwing in other necessary stuff that they might need for the picnic. He had offered his car up for the day, since he figured that Sharpay's expensive convertible wasn't exactly ideal for a neighbourhood such as Threshold Park, no matter how many times she'd been there and returned unscathed. After making sure that nothing was forgotten, they loaded everything into his beat-up Saab.

"Oh, wait, I forgot my stuff," Sharpay declared just as they were about to drive off, and then went back into the house to fetch her backpack.

Troy cranked up the radio while he waited, pleasantly surprised that it was playing the same song that he'd sung with Sharpay the night before, and marveled at the amazing turn of events. However, he was well aware that he was having it easy even though he shouldn't take it for granted. He still had to prove to her that she could trust him, and that he was doing everything he could to make amends.

Laughing out loud to himself, he recalled what had happened previously in the club. The humiliating video of a wasted Gabriella bitching about Sharpay, and then puking on Taylor had probably made its rounds to the students of East High, and possibly even the entire world. He had officially screwed the brunette's reputation, and although Troy usually was against social scheming, he really thought she deserved every bit of it. Yet, he knew it might not be enough to win Sharpay over.

As though sensing his musings, the blonde in question returned, skipping towards his car, her ponytail swishing from side to side, and Troy had to bite back a snicker when he saw her wearing a pair of tennis shoes, for the very first time in his life. She slid back into the passenger's side and then whipped out a DSLR camera, one of those fancy ones with interchangeable lens and multiple dials and functions.

"Wow, is that yours?"

"No," Sharpay said. "It's Dan's. He let me borrow it."

There was nothing to reply to that, so he put the car in gear and drove off. The sun was already high up in the sky, warm and bright in a promise of a good day ahead, so he wound down the windows and allowed the wind to cool them down. The radio was now playing some eighties rock and roll song—one that Sharpay seemed to know for she was softly singing along as she clicked away on the camera, taking shots of the passing scenery. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel to the beat, bobbing his head in sync with the tempo and reminded himself to ask her for the title later. Currently, he was just enjoying the simplicity of the moment—cruising down an open highway with the one person in the world who mattered most to him, enjoying some great music, an easy smile upon his face—it was these little things that made life a whole lot better.

"Smile!"

He took his eyes off the road to flash his pearly whites at her, and she snapped a picture of him, inspecting the photo shortly after.

"Looks good," she remarked.

"Let me see." He took one hand off the wheel and blindly reached out to the side for the camera but she pushed it away, laughing.

"No," she said. "Eyes on the road. You can look at it later."

"Fine."

Troy pretended to pout like a child denied of candy, which amused the blonde to no end as she playfully ruffled his shaggy copper-coloured hair, and then returned to taking more pictures of the landscape. An upbeat funky number started playing on the radio, and though they both didn't recognize this one, Sharpay was animatedly whipping her ponytail around and doing goofy dance moves. She actually looked pretty ridiculous, and it cracked him up.

But fuck it; he was in love with her.

All he needed was a chance to prove it.

* * *

Troy found himself staring at her again, for the umpteenth time that day.

She looked stunningly breathtaking, perched on a picnic bench, the camera held up to her face as she squinted one eye to peer through the viewfinder. Her golden blonde hair was free from the ponytail, luscious locks cascading down her shoulders like rivers of rich honey as rays of sunlight played upon the silky strands. A radiant smile danced upon her lips in compliments to the sheer glow of her beautifully tanned complexion, a light sheen coating her baby-soft skin. It made his fingers itch, just how badly he wanted to caress every inch of her perfection.

**How can I  
****Believe that my  
****Heart would find  
****Someone like you**

One of the younger girls—a cute kindergartener with curly chestnut-coloured ringlets and overalls—skipped up to her, holding up a small, handpicked bouquet of mixed flowers. Her face instantly lit up in appreciation, and then she said something inaudible to the lamb before snapping another picture, gracefully accepting the small present afterwards, slipping the floral arrangement into the pocket of her shorts.

**You see  
****The real me  
****No in-betweens  
****I had nowhere to hide  
****You took away the walls around me  
****Made me feel safe to share my truth**

A scene out of a movie, played in slow-mo.

"Hey, that's a foul!"

He snapped out of his daydream to find that all the boys were gathered in the middle of the grass patch, and in the centre was Josh, hugging the football tightly against his tiny chest with a childishly stubborn-looking pout.

"It's my turn!" the little boy frowned in declaration.

Quickly sneaking a sideways glance towards Sharpay, he realized that the commotion had caught her attention, and decided it was best he intervened before things got messy and the kids began yelling and crying. Heaving a sigh, Troy jogged up to the group, figuring it was all part of the job scope when he had volunteered to coach both the teams. Technically, he was running the plays; although he knew that none of the boys actually understood anything he was telling them. It didn't matter though, as long as they were all having fun.

Until something came up.

Like an overlooked incomplete pass, or a touchdown on the opponents side.

Or everybody wanting the football at the same time.

"Okay, what's wrong?" Troy asked authoritatively.

"Josh wouldn't pass the ball," one brave squirt spoke up, earning a hard glare from the boy in topic.

"Josh?" Troy prodded.

The young blonde glanced down at the grass guiltily, scuffing the ground with his foot. "Nobody wanted to pass the baw to me."

"Why didn't you boys pass the ball to him?" Troy addressed the group. "He was open near the end zone."

"He always drops the ball," an eight-year-old tyke named Louie—the oldest of the bunch—grumbled. "It would've been an incomplete pass."

"Okay, come here, give me the ball," Troy said, gesturing for Josh to hand the object over. The boy did so reluctantly. "Guys, this is not how football is supposed to be. You have to work together as a team. Josh might not be the best player, but we're all playing for fun, aren't we? I mean, there were tons of incomplete passes earlier on but we didn't pick on that, did we?"

There were a few mumbled replies as some others shook their heads.

"Let's give everybody a turn at playing, alright?"

"Actually, I think you boys will need to continue this later," a voice chirped from behind. Troy spun around and saw Sharpay standing a few feet away, grinning with her hands clasped behind her back. She locked her hazel eyes with his cerulean blue ones and then winked playfully. "It's time for lunch."

There were loud cheers as ten boys made a run for the picnic tables, where Carmen was laying out juice boxes for everyone. Most of the girls were already seated and eagerly waiting for their snacks, and Troy chuckled as he watched his kids scramble for a spot on the benches.

"You handled the boys really well, there," Sharpay let him know, nodding towards the hoard of children. "Not bad for a jock."

"I guess," he shrugged modestly. "But thanks for coming to my rescue."

She smirked, in that famous way that he'd memorized by heart. "Anytime."

Troy spied the flowers sticking out from her pocket and pulled one out. Sharpay gave him a curious look for a moment before he grinned and wordlessly tucked the stalk behind her ear. His hands were trembling ever so slightly, and he wondered if she could tell that her presence was doing all sorts of wrong to his being.

**I see the heavens open  
****A heart that once was broken  
****Is holdin' nothin' back  
****Now that I found you**

The proximity was intoxicating, and as his fingers lingered by the side of her face, hovering just mere inches from her cheek, he couldn't help the sudden heat that transpired through the tips down to his every pulse. He took a tiny, shaky step forward; the movement caused his hand to graze her satin skin and he inhaled sharply as a jolt of electricity coursed down his spine.

_Fuck._

God, it was intense.

Her eyes flickered down to his lips for a split second, but perhaps he was imagining it. All his brain was capable of was instructing his body to breathe.

**You hold me like a prayer  
****You touch me everywhere  
****A lifetime just ain't enough to love you true  
****Now that I found you  
****Now that I found you**

And then she cleared her throat.

"We should…erm, go help Carmen…with the kids," she grated out.

Upon realizing that he was overstepping boundaries, Troy hastily created more space between them. He reached up to rub the nape of his neck, trying to disperse some tension in his muscles as he agreed. "Yeah, we should."

Sharpay shuffled her feet awkwardly, and then took off towards the group, blonde hair flying in the breeze as Troy stood there, feeling dejected and disappointed. He ran a hand over his face and then pinched the bridge of his nose, willing for his head—and his entire person—to cool off.

**I do believe  
****We're meant to be  
****Our chemistry  
****Will last forever**

Suddenly he felt a tug on his pants. Troy lifted his eyelids to see Josh gazing up at him with an adorably confused expression. Unable to resist, he gave the toddler a lopsided grin and squatted down so that they were on the same level.

"Yes?"

"Why you standing thewe?" Josh asked, innocently curious.

Troy was stumped for an answer. "Erm…"

"Come eat," he said. Teeny hands wrapped themselves around Troy's wrist, and thus grudgingly allowed the four-year-old to lead the way.

Sharpay and Carmen were passing out the snack packs with Lily and another girl named Maddie was assisting them with the napkins and wet wipes.

Troy headed over to the older woman. "Need some help?"

"Oh, Troy, good you're here." Carmen seemed relieved. "Could you make sure that the boys are cleaned up before they touch their food?"

"I'm on it." He grabbed a spare bottle of hand sanitizer that he knew Sharpay had in her backpack and made his rounds. When he got to Josh, the boy was obediently holding his hands out for inspection. Grinning warmly, Troy pumped a blob of sanitizer onto his awaiting palms and ensured that the kid had everything covered, down to the grooves between his fingers before moving on to Wade, that boy who had ratted Josh out earlier.

_Seems __like __all __that__'__s __forgotten,_ he thought.

"Eeps! Cold!"

The high-pitched girlish squeal caught Troy's attention and he looked up in time to witness Sharpay laughing as she swabbed one of the younger girl's hands with a wet wipe. The little one was squirming and giggling, seemingly ticklish, and when the blonde beauty was done, she gave the preschooler a quick peck on the nose and then made a funny face.

And Troy found himself staring at her again, for the umpteenth time that day.

Yet, he never wanted to look away.

"Hi, Troy!"

He jolted back to the present, and Maddie was smiling shyly up at him, coquettishly biting on her lower lip as she wrung her fingers together. A tiny sense of dread sunk low in his stomach, knowing the first warning signs. It was flattering, really, but she was a tad bit too young for him. Even though he clearly wasn't interested and didn't want to send the wrong signals, Troy was still brought up a gentleman, so he fixed a friendly grin for her anyways.

"Hey, Maddie," he uttered cautiously. "What's up?"

"You're cute," she blurted out giddily, and upon realizing what she had just said, quickly clamped her mouth shut, her face turning a deep shade of red.

Troy was amused. "Why, thank you," he replied graciously. "I think you're very pretty."

From the corner of his eyes, Troy could sense Sharpay watching the exchange with interest and he could bet a million bucks she was finding this whole thing completely hilarious.

If it was possible, Maddie's cheeks flamed up even more, highlighting the dark freckles around her nose. "Thank you, Troy, I just want to let you know that it's been really, really fun to have you around and that you should come over more often and hang out with us, and—"

_Oh, God._

"—you can always come talk to me if you're bored, you know, it'll be really, really fun, like, we if totally hang out, and I heard from Sharpay that you're a really good singer, and so maybe you can sing a duet with me some time, like, we can totally go for a karaoke—"

_Does this girl breathe?_

"—and I there's this really cool diner downtown, and I've never been there but I heard they have karaoke nights every Friday, so, you know, since it's not a school night, we can totally hang out there some time—"

"Maddie."

The ten-year-old burbling mess was interrupted in the midst of her rant, and Troy had to suppress the sigh of relief.

"Could you help Leah with her juice box, please?" Sharpay said sweetly. "She's having some trouble."

Maddie nodded her head vigorously. "Of course," she answered, scampering off.

Troy turned to face Sharpay. _Thank __you_, he mouthed, and she playfully stuck her tongue out in return.

**And through the years  
****We'll see some tears  
****We'll conquer fears  
****Together we will grow  
****Lookin' in your eyes  
****They tell me  
****I no longer have to feel alone**

Rolling his cerulean blue eyes, Troy headed over to where she was sitting down next to Carmen and plopped himself on the other side of the older woman, grabbing a snack pack and a juice box of his own.

"You sure you don't want to swap places with me, Troy?" Carmen teased out of the blue, and he almost choked on his own spit. Seated directly opposite from him, Maddie tilted her head in confusion.

"Yeah, no, I'm good," he murmured, jabbing the straw into his drink and taking a long sip. Peeling the plastic wrap off the sandwich, Troy snuck a sideways glance at Sharpay, who was calmly consuming her own food, taking her time to chew each time before she swallow. He took a huge bite, and realized it wasn't one that he'd made, because the sandwich didn't fall apart the moment he'd picked it up. The lettuce was placed perfectly in the middle and the cheese wasn't in pieces.

"Delicious?" Carmen questioned, a hint of a mischief in her tone.

Troy nodded. "Sure."

"Lucky you," Carmen chuckled. "I got the one with half a lettuce, bits of cheese, and I'm starting to wonder if the pink stuff is actually ham."

He heard Sharpay snicker from where she sat and he could feel the colour rise up to the tips of his ears.

"So, Troy, are you auditioning for the play?"

Shrugging, he said, "I guess so."

"Sharpay, are you auditioning too?" the older woman averted her attention to the blonde teenager.

"No, I don't think I'm going for it this time round," she explained. "I'm already busy as it is, coordinating the show, producing the songs…"

"Oh, but you and Troy would make a lovely pair!"

Troy coughed out loud, a piece of bread catching in his throat, and he quickly washed it down with some juice. Everybody at the table was staring at him.

"Are you okay, dear?" Carmen queried, concern etched on her face as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine," he wheezed, just wishing the ground would open up and engulf him whole. "Thanks."

"Troy helped me write a song for the play," Sharpay announced.

"Really?" Carmen was impressed. "What's going on between you two, anyway?"

Troy darted his baby blues from side to side, wondering how he should approach the topic. He could actually go about telling her the truth—watered down and censored, of course—right from the beginning, or he could just brush it off. Would it offend Sharpay? What if she wasn't exactly in the mood to share? Perhaps he should just leave the decision for her to make.

The pregnant pause was heavy, like a weight hovering above the table, but eventually Sharpay spoke up.

"It's…complicated."

"Complicated? How?"

"We're friends, Carmen." By the sound of it, Sharpay most certainly did not want to discuss about her personal life with an entire table, consisting of two under-aged minors.

"Just friends?"

Troy decided he should dig her out of the hole. "Just friends," he affirmed.

Thankfully, Carmen kept it at that and didn't prod on, but Troy knew she wasn't the least bit convinced about their relationship status.

"So then, why are you always staring at her?"

"Lily!"

"What, Shar? It's true," Lily insisted, pointing a semi-accusing finger at the basketball captain. "Everytime I look at you, you're always staring at her."

'Embarrassed' wouldn't even cover for what he was feeling at the moment. Troy seriously just wanted to take a fork and stab his heart out. Had he really been that obvious with his affections for the talented damsel?

"Do you like her?" Lily pressed on, leaning forward against the table.

"Alright, that's private," Sharpay cut in, saving him from any further humiliation. "You can't just ask people that, Lils."

"Why not?" the girl wanted to know, genuinely innocent. "Josh said he wanted you two to get married and have a basketball-themed wedding."

Carmen pealed with laughter as Troy and Sharpay simultaneously dropped their faces into the palms of their hands, groaning. It was beyond mortifying. These kids truly had a colourful set of imagination.

_This is getting ridiculous._

"Lily…" he muttered.

"Okay, I'm done!" Sharpay exclaimed, flustered, jumping to her feet. "Who wants to play a game of Dog-and-Bone?"

About a million hands shot up to the sky as Sharpay swiftly disposed her rubbish into a black trash bag. She picked up the football and promptly made her way to the empty patch of grass with about twenty kids in tow. Troy couldn't help the smile that spread across his face at the sight, loving how animated and unguarded she was around these orphans, causing a warm sort of fluttering deep within his being. He turned back to finish his sandwich when he sensed three pairs of eyes fixed on him.

"What?"

"You're doing it again," Maddie pointed out, her green eyes narrowing.

"Doing what?"

"Staring at our girl there," Carmen smirked knowingly.

_Busted._

There was no denying it this time.

"Fine," he relented. "You caught me."

"Why don't you girls go help clean up?" Carmen suggested, flashing them both pointed looks. "If there are any cookies left untouched, save them in a bag."

Lily and Maddie sighed in unison, shoulders slumping in defeat. Being one of the older kids sure wasn't easy. They didn't get away with anything, but rather they had more responsibilities. However, at such a tender age, it was logical that they craved for juicy stories and any form of gossip they could hold on to, and since Sharpay played a crucial part in their lives, her personal affairs were something they'd want to know about too. Regardless, they knew best not to bargain with Carmen, no matter how much they would rather sit down and grill the life out of Troy. Unwillingly, they hauled their butts off the bench and started clearing up the tables.

"Just give her some time, Troy," Carmen advised gently. "She likes you, she really does, but you've got to be patient. Sharpay's like a flower; you can't force it to bloom."

**I see the heavens open  
****A heart that once was broken  
****Is holdin' nothin' back  
****Now that I found you**

Troy ran his fingers through his shaggy hair. "I know that. I'm trying my best to prove to her that I can be trusted."

"Honey, you don't have to prove anything. You're already there. Just believe."

He wanted to.

So badly.

"Is there someone else in her life?"

Carmen looked rather surprised, but as she studied his face for a moment, the idea sunk in. "Oh, Dan Patch?"

He bobbed his head. "Yeah, they're really close."

"Not like that," the woman assured him. "Not like you and Shar."

"Really?" His tone was getting sarcastic, and the bottled-up jealousy was bubbling up to the surface. "Could've fooled me."

"Dan and Sharpay have a history together, but not in the way you're thinking," Carmen explained. "They've gone through tough times together, and he's been there for her when her own twin brother hadn't. They need each other, and they depend on each other."

"But sooner or later, one of them have got to let go, right?" He was truly being an ass at the moment, and he knew that even though neither one of them deserved it. Sharpay would probably slap him if she had heard, and he would take his punishment in stride but that was for another time.

Carmen regarded him strangely. "You don't just give up a friend, Troy."

"I did."

"Then I guess the person wasn't really your friend to begin with."

Wise words indeed.

"They care deeply for each other," she told him. "But you've got to understand that Dan had been there since the beginning of everything. If they were meant to be with each other, it would've happened a long time ago. Nothing happened." She paused, contemplating. "You have to know, Troy, all this while, she's been waiting for you."

He almost fell off the bench.

It struck him hard.

Carmen let him pondered on that as she stood up and gave his back a comforting pat before wandering off to supervise Maddie and Lily.

_Waiting for you._

**You hold me like a prayer  
****You touch me everywhere  
****A lifetime just ain't enough to love you true  
****Now that I found you  
****Now that I found you**

* * *

"Hey, Shar!"

"Hi, Lily!" Sharpay said cheerfully as the little blonde girl plopped down on the bench beside her with a mega-watt smile on her face, her cheeks flushed, hair all mussed and her pink shirt dampened with sweat. Setting the camera on her lap, she asked, "you having fun?"

The nine-year-old nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, but I'm taking a break," she explained. "Haylie and Emily are princesses and I'm their Fairy Godmother, but they're now off to plant a garden so I'm free till they need to make a wish or something."

The Dog-and-Bone game had ended a while back, and Carmen and Troy were taking over with another round of football, both enthusiastically cheering their respective teams on. The girls had decided to arrange for a mini talent show, and they had wanted Sharpay to be their guest-of-honour. That had been fun and entertaining, and it made for great photography material, especially when Katie had demonstrated her superhuman flexibility and agility skills on the poles and bars. Sharpay was almost convinced the girl had trained with the circus when she had been just a fetus; it was incredibly freaky. Needless to say, she had gotten the loudest round of applause, and probably would've won hands down had it been a contest.

"Fairy Godmother?" Sharpay quirked an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be the Queen instead?"

Lily giggled as she shook her head. "Nah, the Queen just sits around and gets fat."

"True, true," the older blonde agreed.

"How are you feeling, Shar?"

And just like that.

No bullshit.

Sometimes, she admired how honest and true those delicate minds were, and couldn't help but envy the sheer innocence. It was all the more difficult trying not to corrupt it with negative images and ugly perspectives.

So she sucked it up, and altered the most selling smile she could muster.

"I'm fine."

"You sure?"

Shit, she wasn't expecting that. It was already hard enough without needing to see the pleading in those wide-set emerald-green eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, Lils," Sharpay whispered, cradling Lily's petite face on one hand, her thumb gently rubbing soothing circles on the little girl's cheek. "I'm not leaving you," she quietly promised, not sure whom she was actually trying to convince.

Lily opened her mouth and was about to say something when she was interrupted by the calling of her name. It was Haylie, yelling out dramatically for her Fairy Godmother. The younger blonde rolled her eyeballs in an imitation of Sharpay's very own, the semblance astonishingly identical.

"Duty calls," Lily grumbled. "I'll talk to you later?"

"Sure, no problem," Sharpay chuckled with a dismissive wave of her hand, and as Lily skipped back to rejoin her friends, the high school senior resumed with her picture taking. She'd taken some pretty cool shots and couldn't wait to review them later on. She mentally reminded herself to catch a group photo of all of them. Perhaps she could even have some framed up and hung on the walls in the orphanage.

Suddenly she heard a loud wail, and immediately turned towards the sound, noticing that the football game had stopped and all the kids were huddled in the middle of the grass patch. Sharpay was about to run over when she saw that Troy was already making his way, calmly asking the boys to back up a little, and in turn revealed the casualty sitting on the floor clutching on one knee and crying his tiny heart out. She watched in interest as Troy crouched down beside the kid to inspect the damage. Even from the distance, Sharpay could tell that it was just a minor scrape. Josh was after all just four; he couldn't help it. Troy said something to him, which helped ceased the tears somewhat. He looked his shoulder to talk to Carmen—who stood hovering behind him—before lifting the toddler up into his arms. Knowing what was needed, Sharpay quickly got the first aid kit ready and flagged Troy over.

"You okay there, little guy?" she asked when they were in earshot.

Josh just nodded, a cute pout on his lips.

"Just a minor scrape," Troy told her. "Alright, buddy, Sharpay's gonna get you all cleaned up," he said as he slowly lowered the boy down, but Josh wouldn't comply. He whimpered and clung on tighter to his idol, refusing to let go.

Sharpay and Troy exchanged a look.

"It's going to be fine," the basketball captain said reassuringly. "It'll sting a little but we need to put a band aid over it so that it wouldn't get all gross later on."

She giggled, but didn't offer to comment on anything. It was simply just too precious.

"Do-wanna," Josh mumbled, stubbornly crossing his arms across his chest.

"Come on, Josh." Troy attempted to put him down onto the bench again but the boy was quick to claw on, causing the former to wince a bit.

"See what you did, Troy?" Sharpay mock-reprimanded. "He's getting way too attached to you."

"Hey, I can't help it if I'm just that charming and irresistible," Troy shot back, a cheeky glint in his baby blues.

She pretended to gag at that, making a show of hanging her tongue out. At least it got a laugh out of Josh. "Give him to me," Sharpay said, gesturing for the boy.

Troy tried prying the kid off him, but Josh stuck like glue. "No!"

"Josh—" Sharpay warned, more so because yelling wasn't something that was tolerated, and he was aware of that.

"Sowwy," the toddler apologized moodily.

"It's okay. Now, let go of Troy, please?"

Instantly, Josh buried his face into the side of Troy's neck. "Do-wanna."

"Why not?"

"Do-wanna Twoy to weave."

Sharpay sighed. "Troy…"

"Okay, okay, I'll make a deal with you," Troy said to Josh. "Be a good boy and let Sharpay put a band aid on and I'll give you a piggyback ride. Deal?"

The boy barely even gave it a thought as he nodded in agreement. "Okay."

However, just as Troy was about to set him down once again, the boy held onto him. It was getting ridiculous, and Sharpay was about to lose her patience. She loved Josh to death, but this _bromance_ was getting out of hand. In a way, it was kind of sweet that Josh had a big brother figure in his life now, though she couldn't imagine how difficult it was going to be when they had to really go—for real.

"Why don't you just sit down and put him on your lap," she suggested.

Shrugging, Troy said, "alright," and took a seat on the bench, shifting Josh around carefully so as to avoid the scrape on his knee.

"Is it gonna huwt?"

Sharpay did a quick inspection on the boy's knee, making sure there weren't any pus present and delicately brushed away the dirt with a wet wipe, all the while observing the teenage boy from the corner of her eyes. She noticed how his fringe was getting long and sweeping down his forehead in a mussed-up manner, some damp strands sticking to his skin, framing his striking cerulean blue eyes. There was a slight flush of colour in his cheeks, probably from the heat of the afternoon sun, but nothing glowed more than his stunning, sincere smile.

Troy shook his head. "Not so much, but you're a big, strong boy, aren't you?"

Josh bobbed his head up and down, and Sharpay grinned as she ripped open the alcohol swabs from the packaging and lightly ran it over the cuts. The contact made the little boy flinch, and she could tell that a sob was threatening to escape, so she sped up on her task and promptly covered the wound with a glow-in-the-dark band aid.

"There you go!"

She glanced up and realized that Troy was staring down at her, his expression intense and unreadable, and God, she was finding it rather difficult to breathe. A delicious tingle coursed through her spine, spiraling downwards to the deepest depths of her body.

Damn it, he was doing it again.

The way he looked at her.

Nobody could affect her in ways like that but Troy Bolton. Every moment felt like a roller coaster ride.

"Stop," she whispered.

His fixed gaze did not waver. "Stop what?"

Sharpay was aware that Josh was watching them like a fascinating cartoon show, even though he didn't exactly know what was going on. Hopefully the kid didn't pick up on any inappropriate tension. They could go without emotionally scarring the boy.

"Looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

Whenever his voice got deep and husky like that, Sharpay knew she was fucked. Her mind wasn't processing fast enough, and she was grasping on for words but nothing was coming out of her mouth. A million things were zooming through her head, but none registered.

Fortunately, Josh interrupted their visual-groping session, squirming around restlessly in Troy's arms.

"Piggy!" he exclaimed as Sharpay moved away, breaking out of their charged-up bubble to get some fresh air and sort her thoughts.

Troy got to his feet and turned around so that Josh could climb onto his back, the short legs of the little boy wrapped around his torso, arms dangling off his shoulders. "Shouldn't you thank Sharpay?"

"Fank you, Paypay!" Josh burbled obediently with a toothy smile.

She could never resist that, so she strolled over and ruffled the little tyke's sandy blonde hair. "You're welcome," she replied and kissed his chubby cheek.

"What about me?" Troy piped up, craning his neck around.

Sharpay regarded him for a moment, looking beyond the windows of his hypnotic sky blue gems. Then, against her better judgment, she leaned forward and gave him a chaste peck on the corner of his mouth, barely grazing his lips.

_Oh, my God._

_Fuck._

"Um…" he began.

"Just go," she grated out, her eyelids still wired shut, and she didn't open them again until she was completely sure he was at least ten feet away. Exhaling slowly, she clutched onto the edge of the table to steady herself.

_Fuck._

* * *

"So, you had fun?" Sharpay asked as they cruised down the highway, the cool night breeze fanning her golden blonde hair.

They had just left Zashley Orphanage, after helping Carmen pack up the leftovers and tucking the children into bed, and then staying for a bit to discuss on options and ideas for the fundraising stuff. The older lady had expressed—countless times that day—how deeply appreciative she was of both teenagers, and Sharpay noticed that—for probably the first time ever—she looked truly relaxed and happy. Maybe it was all the chocolate ship cookies she had eaten.

"Yeah," Troy replied with a crooked smile, eyes glued to the road. "It's nice to see everyone happy."

"And the kids could really use the sunlight and fresh air," she added, toggling with the dials on the camera. "It's been some time since they get to do that, you know, go outside. They don't get to do that much."

"Why not?"

"Well, for one, Threshold Park isn't exactly the safest neighbourhood around," Sharpay said, pretty much stating the obvious since people avoided that area as far as possible. It was just bad news. "I've seen things I didn't want to see, and it's not where you'll let children run around as and when they please. Secondly, Carmen's been incredibly busy and stressed out with all the financial issues going on. She can't afford caretakers at the moment and volunteers are hard to come by, especially with everything there, it's just not the best place to be."

"But I'm glad we did."

The corner of Sharpay's mouth twitched upwards. "Yeah."

"Hey, listen, Shar—"

She turned to face him this time. "Hmm?"

"I—I—earlier, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable—about kissing me—"

"It's fine."

"I wasn't trying to push you into anything—"

"Troy, it's fine."

"I—I didn't want to offend you and I know how much your space means to you, and I promised you I wouldn't—"

"Troy!"

He finally stopped rambling, pursing his lips together in a tight line as though he was holding his breath.

"It's fine."

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

She figured she needed to do something to break the awkwardness, and so she giggled. "It's alright. You're cute when you go on like that."

Her plan worked and he chuckled, lifting one hand off the steering wheel to comb his fingers through his hair. "Bullshit, I looked like an idiot."

"A little bit," she shrugged, her tone teasing.

**Something has changed within me  
****Something is not the same  
****I'm through with playing by the rules  
****Of someone else's game**

It never ceased to amaze her how they could jump from one emotion to another in a split second, or how in-tuned they were to each other's feelings. No two people should be that synchronized and not be together as one. The idea totally blew her mind, and in all her lifetime, Sharpay had never truly believed such intimate bonds existed.

Not with Ryan.

Not with Dan Patch.

Just Troy Bolton.

"Thank you, Troy, for coming with me today."

He glanced over at her, a boyish smile on his handsome features. "You're welcome."

They were silent for a bit, and then Sharpay decided to review some of the shots she'd taken earlier on. She came to one particularly funny one and snickered. "Hey, did you see when Josh actually went and tried to hide underneath Heather's dress?"

"He did?"

"Yeah," she said, holding out the camera for him to take a look. "It was during that hide-and-seek game, and the girls were having a 'Crowning of Princess' ceremony or something. Then out of nowhere Josh just came running into her skirt."

Troy burst out laughing. "Did she freak?"

"Hell, yeah! She screamed 'cause she thought it was a squirrel and then began smacking away," Sharpay told him and rolled her hazel eyes. "That poor boy never saw it coming."

"What happened? How come I didn't know about this?"

"I'm not sure, but I think it was after Josh had that fall," she told him, pressing her index finger to her chin. "It's a shame, though, 'cause I'm sure you'd enjoy it very much."

"Now, wait a minute—"

"Don't lie to me. You know you'd like it."

Troy made a turn out of the next exit. "You just made me sound like a pedophile."

"Oh, shit, I did, didn't I?"

Sharpay was thoroughly loving the playful back and forth battle of wits between them, and even though it wasn't a particularly deep and meaningful conversation, she still found it rather entertaining. The air of indifference was a nice contrast to the pressures of her life. Sometimes it was good to just blurt out stuff that didn't really matter. She was certain that they could be talking about mundane things—such as the weather, or the circumference of Chad Danforth's afro—and she wouldn't find it ridiculous at all.

In fact, they were so busy supplying each other with clever one-liners, neither one of them realized that they had rolled into the Evans' driveway.

"Well…"

Troy killed the engine and they were enveloped in silence, save for the distant sounds of crickets, and the offbeat tapping of his fingers on the wheel. He took a deep breath. "Well…" he parroted, trailing off.

"This is me," she said dumbly, gesturing towards the towering mansion.

"Yeah…"

And then there was just nothing to say.

So they simply just sat there.

Prolonging their proximity for as long as they could.

**Too late for second-guessing  
****Too late to go back to sleep  
****It's time to trust my instincts  
****Close my eyes: and leap!**

Sharpay fiddled with the detachable lens, subconsciously twisting the ring, zooming in and out. Something in the moment made her reflect on the day—how he'd willingly woken up bright and early in the morning despite the hangover she knew he'd been nursing, and went grocery shopping, then paid for the food without a single complain and hadn't mentioned anything about splitting the cost; made sandwiches and then spending time with the children, played football with them, babying Josh when he'd scraped his knee—and how she had loved every single second because Troy had been there. His easy-going nature was infectious. Not once had she thought about her tribulations.

And it felt great.

She needed the simplicity.

She needed _him_.

**It's time to try  
****Defying gravity  
****I think I'll try  
****Defying gravity  
****Kiss me goodbye  
****I am defying gravity  
****And you wont bring me down!**

"Troy?"

"Hmm…?"

Slowly, she lifted her eyes to meet his hypnotic blue ones. "Do you want to come in?"

A flicker of emotion crossed his boyish face, but he held on to her gaze, curiously regarding her offer. "Why?" His tone was low and cautious, his words—or rather, lack thereof—chosen carefully.

"You wanted to see the photos, didn't you?"

She could see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to collect his thoughts, but he gave nothing away. His cerulean orbs, usually so expressive, were closed off like a secret box of treasure. The slight impishness that normally adorned his lips wasn't there; instead replaced by the solemnity of the situation, and it wasn't till then that she realized Troy was giving his decision serious consideration, as though his future depended on it.

**I'm through accepting limits  
****'Cause someone says they're so  
****Some things I cannot change  
****But till I try, I'll never know!**

_Maybe this is a bad idea._

Sharpay was about to brush the suggestion off like it wasn't a big deal, when he reached down beside him and pulled the door handle, swinging one leg out of the car, and then looked back at her. He leaned in, his nose inches away from hers.

"I know that after spending the whole day with me, you find it very hard to let me go, but I'll just have to remind you that I'm on a curfew." That smirk was back. "So haul your cute little ass and let's go."

"Park in the garage. I'll meet you upstairs," she murmured and swallowed hard. "You know where my room is."

Hot and bothered, Sharpay fled out of the vehicle and escaped into the comforts of her house, knowing that she only had mere minutes to compose herself before he came back. She flew up to her room, and then wondered if she should have a change of clothes. Retrieving her laptop from the study desk, she set it on the bed allowed for it to boot up before hooking up the memory card to download the images. It would take a while, and after some speedy mental calculations, Sharpay reckoned she could afford to freshen up a little.

"Shar?"

_Shit._

Apparently math wasn't her best subject. Now she was in the bathroom, hunched over the sink, rubbing facial foam onto her cheeks, stripped down to her lingerie with a towel wrapped around her head.

_Fucking, shit._

"In here," she yelled. "Just make yourself comfortable."

Sharpay hastily washed the soap off her face but then realized she had forgotten to take a set of fresh clothes with her. _Damnit_, she cursed, scouting the bathroom in search of a cover-up. The only thing she could find was a flimsy pink silk robe that was hung on the wall. It was awfully thin, though, probably see-through, but in that instant, it would have to do, so she slid it on, making sure to tie it up extra tight. She shook her blonde hair out, carelessly tossing the towel aside before stepping back into her room.

"Having fun, there?"

Troy was sprawled out on her bed, legs hanging off the edge of the mattress with one arm draped over his eyes, and he groaned when he heard her voice, lifting his head up to look at her as she stood leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest to better cloak her indecency.

"Your bed is really soft," he commented drowsily.

"I'm very sure it is," she retorted sarcastically, walking over to check on the computer. The transfer was done, so she situated herself some distance away from Troy and began pulling up the images into a slideshow. There were a few initial test shots, and some of the passing scenery in which she had taken in the car earlier that day.

"Hey, that's quite nice."

It was the picture she had snapped of him—the one fit for the front cover of a teenage magazine, with the wining trophy-worthy smile and the sun shining from behind—he was so boyishly handsome.

_His __parents __sure __did __a __good __job,_ she thought.

**Too long I've been afraid of  
****Losing love I guess I've lost  
****Well, if that's love  
****It comes at much too high a cost!**

"You know, I'm just right here if you want to continue gaping at me."

Ashamed at being caught red-handed, Sharpay tried covering it up with a haughty huff, betrayed only by the colour that rose in her cheeks. "Oh, please."

"Admit it, you can't resist my charmingly good looks," he continued teasingly, poking at her side.

"Wow," she scoffed. "Someone's more self-obsessed than usual."

"You know it's true."

Sharpay bit on her bottom lip and continued scanning through the rest of the pictures, landing on a photo of Troy and Josh, the younger one jumping in mid-air, both boys laughing as they slapped each other a high-five, and she couldn't help falling in love with it.

"Troy," she breathed.

"Yes?"

She turned around to face him.

His gaze was fixed on the screen.

"Troy—"

"It's perfect," he murmured without looking away.

This was it.

She had to do it.

Now or never.

**I'd sooner buy  
****Defying gravity  
****Kiss me goodbye  
****I'm defying gravity  
****I think I'll try  
****Defying gravity  
****And you wont bring me down!**

Gently, she laid a hand on his chest. Her touch jolted him out of his reverie and he averted his attention from the picture to stare down at her golden brown eyes, locked in a spell where words were superfluous. There were so many unspoken things yet to be said as he silently ventured into the depths of her soul, those pieces of a broken puzzle that he was desperately trying to assemble, that uncharted territory nobody had dared to pry into.

That love nobody had known.

Until now.

"You're perfect, Troy."

"Don't say that," he pleaded weakly, sliding his warm palms up to cup the sides of her delicate porcelain face. "I'm far from perfect, Shar."

Moisture was collecting in her eyes, blurring her vision and obscuring her from the sight of him. Sharpay wouldn't take that, so she blinked, hoping to clear them away, only to have those damn tears roll down the corners of her lids. He knocked them away with his thumbs, a gesture so tender, she had to swallow back a sob.

"I think I'm in love with you."

"Shar…"

She glanced back up at him. "I've tried to deny it and I've tried to fight it, but no matter what happened, you came back, and the feelings just kept getting stronger. I—Troy, I—I'm afraid of getting hurt, and I was scared to give you a chance because I thought you'd end up hurting me again, and I didn't think I could handle it. I don't—I don't want to come to a point where you'll get tired to coming back for me and just one day decide I'm not worth it—"

"Shar, you'll never—"

"I'm tired of trying to keep pushing you away, Troy—"

His cerulean blue orbs glazed over. "What are you saying?"

"I want to give us a chance."

A sharp intake of air.

Followed by a drawn out pause.

"Are you sure?"

Nodding, she replied, "more than anything."

"You have no idea how happy I am right now to hear you say that."

"Show me."

And so he did.

**I'd sooner buy  
****Defying gravity  
****Kiss me goodbye  
****I'm defying gravity  
****I think I'll try  
****Defying gravity  
****And you wont bring me down!**

Troy bent over and captured her lips with his, their mouths melding together like a smooth tango, and Sharpay felt all her senses whirring to life, spiraling up from the dark abyss of her core. This kiss, it was unlike any other—with newfound emotions, the sublime contentment engulfing them in continuous waves—as she allowed herself to finally feel. He took his time, drinking in her kisses, savouring each one of them as if they were his last, and she was slowly drowning into his exquisite essence. Even after a whole day of activity, he still smelt so good—his own unique scent of musk and masculinity—and it was puncturing more pockets of emotions she didn't know she had. She felt one of his hands travel up to sift through her blonde curls and tried—but failed—to suppress a gasping sigh. Another hand trailed down to languidly explore the slender column of her neck. He left a burning path everywhere he brushed; it sent tingles up her spine and back down to the heart of her femininity. His tongue traced the contours of her lips, shyly prying them open, to which she granted him the privilege of dominance.

_Oh, God._

Lifting her hand from his chest, she began tracing the contours of his taut abs through his clothes, feeling a burst of satisfaction when he shuddered underneath her touch. She grinned against his lips, his tongue loving her with lazy thoroughness, plunging and delving, darting and flicking. Caressing the back of his head, she gently raked her nails through his soft hair.

"Shar," he whispered, wrapping an arm around her, eliminating whatever leftover space between them, pressing her petite, pliant body flushed up against his. Still, she needed to get closer.

"Troy…"

He must've felt it too. The want. The need.

Effortlessly, he shifted her over to straddle his lap, her legs going round to circle his waist in an arousing position, and Sharpay groaned as she felt his reacting member tenting in his pants, prodding up to where she was most sensitive. Through the thin fabric of her panties, she could feel everything—the heat, the deliciously tormenting friction—it was robbing her off her sanity. Their echoed moans of pleasure eventually pierced through them, and then their kisses changed character. It was no longer gentle and innocent, now fueled by the hike in sexual tension. With a strangling sound, she ceased upon his mouth with a new ardency, his tongue swirling with a sudden crack or urgency.

"Shar," he grated between kisses. "I can't stop."

"Then don't."

He tore his lips away from hers and studied her long and hard. "You don't mean that."

"I do." She cradled his face between her hands, expressing everything she had with a deep, meaningful kiss. "I don't want you to stop, Troy. Show me."

"Are you sure?"

For the second time that day, she repeated, "more than anything."

Their lips fused together again. His tongue sank into the honeyed welcome of her mouth, investigating the deep recesses within. Filaments of ecstasy shot through her person to curl beguilingly in her stomach down to her toes. Wonderful sensations fluttered inside her with the intensity of a million butterflies until she thought she could take flight. Unable to stop herself, Sharpay ground her hips down to his growing bulge, igniting a gratifying hiss from him as he subconsciously began rubbing his front against hers. Sharpay almost growled in protest when he dislodged his mouth from hers, but whimpered in fulfillment when his hands settled on her hips, and he gave a little squeeze, dotting kisses down to her collarbone. Overwhelmed by the onslaught of heavenly emotions, she threw her head back, in turn giving him better access to her throat. He peppered tiny chaste pecks down to the valley of her breast, where the neckline of her robe was began.

"Troy…"

"Shar, I…"

She sensed the hesitance in his voice, and knew that he needed her reassurance one more time. He gazed at her expectantly, waiting patiently to cue him on his next move, and she gave him a soft smile so that he wouldn't feel like a total loser. His uncertainty only made her heart swell ten times larger than before. Sharpay decided she wanted to take things into her own hands and reached for the hem of his shirt, tugging it upwards and peeling the fabric off his body; gradually exposing his rippled muscles as he raised his arms up over his head to assist her. She carelessly tossed his shirt aside and then took a couple of seconds to admire his toned physique, mesmerized by his tanned, chiseled chest and strong arms.

"Shar?"

"Damn it, Troy, you're gorgeous," she muttered.

He gave her a lopsided grin. "That's what you said the last time," he revealed, his stunning ocean blue eyes hypnotized her.

"How could you have remembered?" she wondered out loud.

Troy tucked some pieces of hair behind her ear and kissed her on the tip of her nose. "How could you have not?"

"I was drunk, wasn't I?"

"Pretty much," he shrugged. "But you still managed to completely blow my mind."

"Figuratively, right?"

Sharpay's pulse quickened when he leaned in closer, his lips merely a scant breath away from hers. "We'll see," he taunted with that smoldering smirk of his before diving in to kiss her all over again, his questing tongue seeking out to reacquaint itself with every sweet nuance of her mouth. She accepted his kisses greedily, carried along by his raving passion. Every nerve ending in her being rang high and loud, caught up in his taste, his smell, the sheer proximity between them, and the glorious way his scorching skin felt underneath her fingertips.

His skillful hands moved down to the knot of her robe, tugging at it till the silk fell open and pooled on the bed, unveiling the treasure behind, his mouth still hot and hungry over her own. The coolness of the air hit her bare skin, quivering involuntarily at the lust that clouded over his features as his dilated pupils gorged over her, meticulously studying every inch of her exposed flesh till they landed, transfixed on her ivory-laced brassiere where he visibly swallowed hard.

"So beautiful," he husked appreciatively as he gingerly ran his finger over her chest, outlining her lingerie as though it was made by the touch of an angel. She watched his movements, noticing how his fingers were trembling ever so slightly, his breathing ragged and uneven. And then he swept his hands up to her shoulders, provocatively undressing her along the way. "Jesus, Shar."

"Troy…" From her throat, a low purr reached her own ears.

His feather-like grazes were creating extraordinary tingles down the grooves of her back till they found the clasp of her bra. He hovered for a second, hesitating.

"Keep going," she whispered.

He didn't need to be told twice. Swiftly, he undid the offending piece of material, hooking his index fingers through the thin straps before pulling them down her arms and setting her breasts free. Sharpay's first instinct was to try and cover it up, unsure if she was comfortable with the way he was ogling at her full but tender mounds, but she resisted the urge to cross her arms, because the way he was looking at her, it was so much more than just a bundle of teenage hormones.

Because the way he was looking at her, no words could describe it.

**I'd sooner buy  
****Defying gravity  
****Kiss me goodbye  
****I'm defying gravity  
****I think I'll try  
****Defying gravity  
****And you wont bring me down!**

"Troy…"

"Fuck, Shar…"

"Well, it's not like you haven't seen them before," she joked.

"Doesn't make it any less special."

God, it was cheesy and clichéd, but that didn't mean his honest statement sounded lame. On a whim, Sharpay reached out for his calloused hands, guiding them mere inches away from her chest, and then released his wrists so that he could make his own decisions.

Nothing in her life, nothing, had ever felt so pleasing as having her breasts cupped snugly in his palms, pressing soothing circular motions into them as he stared down into her eyes. She was eliciting incoherent sounds, noises she swore she didn't knew were capable of her while she desperately tried to suppress them by gnawing on her bottom lip. His adapt fingers skittered over her hardened peak, the sudden onrush of pleasure made her gasp. Troy seized the opportunity and kissed her, muffling their synchronized moans as he continued fondling the soft globes of her breasts. Sharpay blindly grabbed handfuls of his hair, sinking her tongue deeper into his mouth.

Gradually and without preliminary, Troy lowered himself down onto her soft duvet, groaning when her milky flesh came in contact with his. Sharpay propped herself up on her hands and broke the kiss, supporting her own weight. She gazed down at him, her blonde hair curtaining her face and smiled softly. He had one hand on the side of her breast, another one tracing patterns on her hipbone.

"Why does this feel so familiar?" she asked quietly.

He didn't answer her, but his understanding look said it all.

Running her thumb over his cheekbone, she leaned down and dropped light, quick kisses across his forehead, and then headed south for his jaw line, stopping just below his chin, loving each and every sigh and rumble that issued out of his throat. And then he rolled them over so that he was hovering above her, trapping her smooth thighs between his knees, his rippled arms like two towers on either side of her head.

"Actually, I think you'll recognize this better," he said, a mischievous glint in his baby blues.

_Indeed._

Something in them snapped. And then everything was in a dizzy flurry. Her hands went to his belt, unbuckling it with surprising dexterity, and then she was unbuttoning his pants, tugging on the zipper and pushing them over his slender hips. He hastily kicked it aside, his fingers now tracing the line of her panties. Then—her hazy eyes never leaving his—grabbed at the band of his cotton boxers and peeled them off.

He presented himself before her in all his naked glory.

**I'd sooner buy  
****Defying gravity  
****Kiss me goodbye  
****I'm defying gravity  
****I think I'll try  
****Defying gravity  
****And you wont bring me down!**

Sharpay's gaze drifted over his much-envied physique, hard, lean and lithe, his magnificent washboard abs, further down to his tapering torso and landing on his engorging member, standing as proud as a man. He was absolutely ravishing. Ribbons of life swirled through her heart as she studied him, momentarily shutting her eyes against the whirls of dizziness; encompassed by a desire so intense, she honestly thought she would pass out if her thirst for him wasn't quenched. She was going to pin the blame for this one on her uncontrolled adolescent bodily reactions.

"Shar? You all right?"

She lifted her eyelids and saw him glancing nervously down at her. He'd still rendered her speechless, so she simply just nodded in response.

"Do you want to stop?"

Alarmed, she quickly shook her head, her blonde tresses now fanned out on the bed.

"Do you want me to continue?"

"Yes, please," she whimpered.

His deft hands wandered at will, touching her as though each erogenous spot had been mapped out for him. His warm dewy lips learned of the sensitized skin behind her ear, then traveled down to the valley of her pert breasts, and over her flat stomach. His nimble tongue circled her navel, nuzzling the spot so intimately; it sent tremors coursing through her petite frame. His short breaths misted over the heated area above her core, harmonizing her irregular pants like a new love song.

Slowly, very slowly, he held onto the waistband of her panties and took his own sweet time easing it down her long, slim legs, divesting her of the final piece of clothing left before gliding his hands seductively back up the length of her calves, pausing to punctuate the back of her knees with tiny kisses. The ticklish sensation made her squirm, but he didn't cease his ascent, his rough fingers gliding northwards to caress her curves, adoring her naked beauty.

"Troy…"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He pulled away unexpectedly and hopped off the bed, scrambling around to locate his trousers. Sharpay huffed in frustration and sat up, leaning her weight on one elbow as she burned holes through his head with her laser-shooting glare. Damn him if he was going to bail now, and leave her high and dry and wanting.

"The fuck, Troy?" she spat out. She was so worked up, it wasn't funny.

Sharpay narrowed her hazel eyes when he pulled his wallet out from the back pocket. It dawned on her then, as he fished out a little foil package. Holding it tightly in his palm, Troy climbed back up to kneel over her.

"Got to be responsible, Shar."

Her only response was a dramatic roll of her eyes, but soon they were tracking down Troy's every movement, from when he ripped the packet open with his teeth to the irresistibly libidinous way in which he rolled the condom on.

"Ready?"

She nodded as he gently pushed her down onto her back.

He rose above her, carefully aligned himself and buried his manhood deep in the safe haven of her velvety warmth.

_Oh, fuck._

"Troy!" she cried out.

**I'd sooner buy  
****Defying gravity  
****Kiss me goodbye  
****I'm defying gravity  
****I think I'll try  
****Defying gravity  
****And you wont bring me down!**

And then everything else was just a flash of white.

* * *

**A/N:** So, hi! Okay, so for those of you who's thinking of killing me now, I'm so sorry about that! But in my defense, I like smut, now and then, so don't get me wrong. There will be more Troypay goodness in the next chapter, I promise! This is just a strategy to get you, my dear readers, all worked up :P

**CharminglyShar:** Thank you so much for reviewing three chapters in one go! Actually, I just want to thank you in general, for taking time off to even read my story! Looking forward to hearing more from you! Hope you like this chapter!

**Anna:** Hi there! Thank you so much for the wonderful comments, and also for reading and reviewing. I'm glad you love the triangle things going on, and no, I don't find it weird at all! I like the cat-and-mouse game to see who gets there first as well, it keeps the guys on their toes ;P Gabriella, oh God, I love humiliating her character so much. It's so fun to mess with her and see her fail (hint, hint)! Let me know what you think of this update, alright?

**62Toaster62:** Thank you so much for sticking by me for so long, and I'm so happy that you really enjoy my story :D I love exploring the dynamics between Troy and Sharpay, and the different emotions and situations they could stir up. And Dan, he's such a sweetheart, isn't he? He wasn't in this chapter, but with what's happening between Troy and Sharpay, you can expect a lot more development from our favourite surfer dude ;P However, since Troypay has been your ultimate OTP for years, I hope this chapter does some major loving for you!

**Duhhitskatieox:** Hello there! Thank you so much for reviewing my chapter, and I'm glad you loved it! I thoroughly enjoyed writing those Troypay moments, and especially the embarrassing Gabriella scene! I'm glad you've receiving the love triangle well, 'cause I was initially worried people might not accept Dan, but I'm glad you're enjoying the friend/relationships! Hope you like this chapter!

**TheDude47:** No worries on not being able to review, I owe you one for being the only awesome person to review chapter 27! So sorry it's taking this long to update this chapter, but it filled up like 29 pages on my Word document. Hopefully that makes up for it ;P Let me know what you think :D

**Nikita****Jain:** Oh, wow…Thank you so, so much! Your comments are always so wonderful, and I've always appreciated and enjoyed reading your reviews! You're always so sweet about the story! I'm really flattered! I love Troy, but I definitely love Dan in another way. He's such a genuine guy, too! I'm glad you love the little moments between the characters. I've enjoyed writing it so much! Thank you for sticking by me and supporting me all this time! Hope you liked this chapter!

**19LoVeSpeLL93:** Hi there! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Glad you love all the Troypay-ness! Let me know if you like this update!

Songs used — "Now That I Found You" by Terri Clark and "Defying Gravity" by Glee Cast


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: **Yay! Welcome to chapter 31! Just a little prep before you start reading, this chapter has more Troypay steamy scenes, so if you need to have a glass of cold water on stand by, please go get it :D Now, on with the story! Enjoy!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 31**

To him, she was the most beautiful creature he'd ever laid eyes on.

And he never wanted to look away.

He couldn't even if he tried.

The summery morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, basking the room in auburn warmth. Streams of honeyed rays fell upon her peacefully sleeping figure, highlighting her blonde curls like rich gold. Tendrils of hair had cascaded down, unintentionally masking her porcelain face. Gingerly, he reached out and pushed them aside. He wanted to witness all of her perfection; indulge in this serenity and vulnerability.

Taking this as a precious opportunity, he took his time carving every inch of her in his mind—her skillfully sculpted eyebrows, long and luxurious lashes, the unique curve down the bridge of her nose, her pouty lips—and praised the Lord above for creating such a fine piece of work. Propping his head up on one elbow for better leverage, he used his free hand to brush her cheek, tinged a healthy pink from the post-coital afterglow.

**If our love was a fairy tale  
****I would charge in and rescue you  
****On a yacht baby we would sail  
****To an island where we'd say I do**

Troy smiled to himself, unable to believe the amazing turn of events the night before. He was still recovering from the aftermath of their lovemaking, so caught up in the blissful haven that they were living in; he didn't want it to end.

Yet, even as he tenderly traced a path down her bare arm, he couldn't help but wonder if she was going to take it all back. It was what had kept him up all night. The prospect of the girl he loved waking up, and then thinking that it had all been a sorry mistake would completely break him. He would try to look understanding, of course, but deep down he knew that if she were to utter a word of regret, his whole being would shatter—physically and emotionally.

What they had done meant so, so much more to him, he just hoped it was the same for her.

**And if we had babies they would look like you  
****It'd be so beautiful if that came true  
****You don't even know how very special you are**

He grazed the delicate bumps of her knuckles and intertwined his fingers with hers, remembering how nimble and deft they were—how deliciously good it felt to have them wrapped around his member, stroking and squeezing—he was beginning to get hard just envisioning it in his head. Glancing southwards at the tent pitching in his boxers, he reckoned it would probably need some taking care of.

His hand trailed up her creamy flesh to where the duvet was covering her modesty, but fully aware that she was concealing nothing underneath it. Slowly, tantalizingly, he slid his palm between the comforters and cupped her breast. He gently massaged it, and then his fingertips skimmed past her sensitive peak. It must've stirred something in her for she gave the tiniest of a whimper, and then a contented sigh.

Troy froze for a moment, worried that he had woken her up, but when there was no further reaction, he figured he was safe.

But he wasn't satisfied.

The coverlet was cloaking too much for his liking, so he languidly peeled it off her petite frame, revealing the naked _belle__tournure_ of Sharpay Evans. Watching her sleep was lulling and mesmerizing at the same time. Even in her most purest of form, bare and exposed, she was captivating and sensual. He figured it was what Eve might have looked like, not that he was a religious person, and him, being Adam, had fallen prey to her hypnotic innocence. His cerulean blue eyes took her in, like whispers of a feather, cataloguing every sweet detail that he might have missed the night before.

Still it wasn't enough.

He had to touch her.

Every part of her.

Carefully he rid himself of his underwear and spooned her from behind, her body instantly reacting and molding perfectly with his. It never ceased to surprise him just how well they fit together. Nothing else seemed so right, like they'd always belonged with each other. He felt their hearts thumping in sync underneath his caress, sparking tiny bursts of emotions coursing through every nerve endings. He inhaled in her scent—an intoxicating mix of vanilla and his natural musk—it made him dizzy with lust.

**You leave me breathless  
****You're everything good in my life  
****You leave me breathless  
****I still can't believe that you're mine**

Maybe it was time to pry her out of her slumber.

**You just walked out of one of my dreams  
****So beautiful you're leaving me  
****Breathless**

With a mischievous smirk, Troy shifted the locks of hair away from the slender slope of her neck and leaned it to place an open-mouthed kiss on her pulse-point. He heard a quiet gasp, followed by a slight shiver as he darted his tongue out and laved at her erogenous spot. She moaned, low and _fucking_ erotic, and he wondered if she was having an immensely pleasurable dream. However, it didn't seem like he had roused her from her sleep, so he took it one step further. Latching on, he sunk his teeth into her skin and began sucking.

"Troy!"

_Looks like she's awake._

Still, he didn't cease his ministrations. Snaking his arm around, he placed his hand over her flat stomach to press her tighter up against him. He took a staggering breath, the sensation of the softness of her pert buttocks cushioning his pelvis a little too much to bear. A quick glimpse down to her neck brought an appeased grin to his face as she groggily began mumbling incoherently. Needless to say, he was rather proud of the vivid red mark he'd left behind. The knowledge that he'd marked her as his drove him to the brink of raw carnality. It made his aching manhood throb.

**And if our love was a story book  
****We would meet on the very first page  
****The last chapter would be about  
****How I'm thankful for the life we've made**

"Fuck, Shar…" he muttered, slowly rocking his hips back and forth.

"Oh God, Troy…"

Her raspy voice, accompanied by punctuated gasps and moans, only heightened his desire for her. The wonderful friction of his arousal against the smooth mounds of her cheeks sent a quake throughout his body. And then he gasped and his sapphire blue eyes widened in surprise. Somehow, her dainty hands had wandered down between her legs to fondle his pot of gold.

**And if we had babies they would have your eyes  
****I would fall deeper watching you give life  
****You don't even know how very special you are**

"Shar…"

"Are we doing this?" she murmured.

"Your call," he grated out, dropping kisses randomly across her back.

"What about the rubber?"

"What?"

"Protection."

"Yeah? What about it?" he said absentmindedly, his words muffled by his actions.

"We need protection."

_Damnit!_

Troy tore himself away from her enough to scramble around to locate his carelessly discarded pants, rifling through the pockets for his wallet. He growled in frustration when he couldn't find it.

_Fucking piece of shit!_

"Bathroom," Sharpay offered. "There are a few in the drawer below the sink."

A few seconds later, he learned that it was quite a stash, safely hidden in a corner. There was such a selection, though; he didn't really know which one to choose.

_Seriously?_

"Any preferences?" he called out jokingly to her.

"I don't know, and honestly, I don't care," she answered with an amused tone.

_Oh, __wha__t the __hell,_ he thought and pulled the one he was most familiar with. Leaning against the doorframe, Troy held the silver packet up.

"Do I want to know?"

Sharpay rolled her doe-like hazel eyes. "Ryan hides them in my bathroom so that Mrs. Collingsworth wouldn't see them when she's cleaning up his mess. Unfortunately for him, she didn't come from some remote island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. That being said, she definitely knows the condoms belong to him." She paused to snicker. "Besides, Trista wasn't really one for being celibate."

"With all those blunt innuendos, I wouldn't think so." He crossed the room, his gaze locked on hers, and the quirky lopsided smile he had on his lips turned serious with each measured step he took. Troy reached the bed in four long strides before he climbed onto the bed and crawled over to her naked form.

"Would you do the honours?" he requested.

She plucked the tin foil out of his fingers, and then ripped it open with ease before expertly rolling the condom down his gorging length without even batting an eyelash. Troy's brows sprung up, half expecting her to at least fumble a little, but she looked like she had had some practice in.

"Have you done that before?"

Even though it was thoroughly an awkward question, he couldn't resist asking.

To her credit, if Sharpay was finding it odd—given the circumstances and all—she wasn't showing it. Instead, she simply giggled.

"Twice," she admitted nonchalantly. "It was for that Sex-Ed session during one of the P.E. classes and Mrs. Murillo had us girls work on a cucumber."

"Wait, was that when—" He couldn't finish his sentence. She shoved him down onto the mattress and hooked a slim leg over to straddle his lower torso. The sight of her hovering above him—her blonde tresses tumbling down like a silk veil over her head, eyes wide and glistening like rare diamonds, her flawless complexion tinged slightly pink—it ignited a burning flame deep in his stomach, spiraling down to his sex. However, what finally set his soul on fire was the reddish-purple patch on the crook of her neck.

**You leave me breathless  
****You're everything good in my life  
****You leave me breathless  
****I still can't believe that you're mine**

"God, you're so beautiful, Shar," he whispered tenderly.

"You said that last night," she informed him bashfully.

"And I meant every word," he vowed. "You have no idea how happy I am right now."

**You just walked out of one of my dreams  
****So beautiful you're leaving me  
****Breathless**

"At the risk of sounding cheesy?" she teased.

The corned of his lips twitched up. "I love you, Sharpay Evans, and I don't ever want to hurt you, alright? I just want you to know that."

**And if our love was a story book  
****We would meet on the very first page  
****The last chapter would be about  
****How I'm thankful for the life we've made**

"I do, Troy. Why did you think I'm giving us a chance?"

**And if we had babies they would have your eyes  
****I would fall deeper watching you give life  
****You don't even know how very special you are**

"I'll do my best, Shar, to make you the happiest girl in the world." He was starting to ramble now, and she must've sensed it because she began circling her hips, shifting nearer and nearer to the heart of his masculinity. And just like that, everything flew out of his mind. "I never want to let—let you down, and I—I'll do everything I can to make it work between us and—"

**You must have been sent from heaven to earth to change me  
****You're like an angel  
****The thing that I feel is stronger than love believe me  
****You're something special**

"Troy?"

"Yeah?"

**I only hope that I'll one day deserve what you've given me  
****But all I can do is try  
****Every day of my life**

"Shut up."

**You leave me breathless  
****You're everything good in my life  
****You leave me breathless  
****I still can't believe that you're mine**

"Okay."

It was all he managed to strangle out, before she guided him into her wet entrance.

**You just walked out of one of my dreams  
****So beautiful you're leaving me  
****Breathless**

* * *

Chests heaving, they lay together, flat on their backs, totally spent from their lovemaking. A layer of sheen coated their flushed bodies, the sheets damped with sweat as they attempted to catch their breaths.

"Troy…"

"Shar…" he whispered back.

"Maybe we should get out of bed," she suggested, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Troy nodded his head in agreement. "Good idea."

Still neither one of them moved.

Minutes later, Sharpay felt her heart rate returning to normal but she was far too comfortable to haul herself up. She turned to face him and realized that he had fallen asleep.

_He __must __be __exhausted,_ she thought.

Rolling over onto her belly, she propped her weight up on her forearms and gazed down at his serene, boyishly handsome face. His tousled fringe had fallen over his eyebrows in sodden points, and she noticed that he really did look tired. The bags underneath his eyes were more noticeable now that she was taking a much closer look. His features seemed sharper too, thinner somehow, and she wondered all of a sudden if everything was taking a toll on him. Sharpay certainly did not want to stress him out in any way, especially if it was affecting his health so much.

Besides, she was already sick enough for the both of them.

A small, sad smile crossed her lips, and she knew that she was just delaying the inevitable.

But she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

Especially when, in a moment of vulnerability the previous night, she had professed her true feelings for him. It had been a huge relief, a burden lifted off her shoulders, but she was also aware that it was something she could never take back, nor would she even want to. She had decided to take a risk with it, and damn it all if she was going to turn on it now. Those precious moments—the way his features lit up, his striking baby blues filled with so much love and joy—she couldn't ever erase that from her memory.

And she didn't want to be the one to take it away.

_Dan__'__s __right,_ she frowned. _I __am __a __coward._

She was terrified of the consequences, of not knowing how he would react, and the fear of having to deal with the ugly aftermath alone and shattered.

Would he still want to be with her then?

"Hey…"

Sharpay jolted out of her reverie. "Hey…"

"Are you okay?"

Her forehead crinkled in mild confusion. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

Troy reached out and gently stroked her cheek, his hand warm and comforting. "You look…occupied. Is something on your mind?"

She shook her head. "No, no, I'm fine."

He gave her one of his charming lopsided grins. "I'm so in love with you right now, do you know that?"

Leaning forward, she dropped a chaste kiss on his lips and heard him groan in protest when she pulled away. "You're too cute for your own good, Bolton."

"Cute?" he scoffed just as his tummy made an awful noise.

"Hungry?"

"Famished."

"Alright, just let me get dressed and freshen up, and then I'll fix us some breakfast, okay?" she said, already getting up to hunt for her underwear, dragging the comforter with her.

"I think I much prefer you walking around naked," he smirked. "In fact, why don't you lose the duvet?"

Sharpay rolled her eyes at his perverted comment but made no attempt at a retort. She found her panties on the floor, flung halfway across the room in the tryst of their passion, and slipped it on before proceeding to search for her missing brassiere.

"I'm serious, Shar," Troy snickered from the bed. "I really don't mind you parading around in your birthday suit."

She placed her hands on her hips and sent him a mock disapproving glare. "Remember when I said you were cute?"

"Yeah."

"I take it back," she huffed and turned away to continue scouring for her underwear.

"What? Why?"

"You were being a pig," she stated pointedly, lifting his shirt off the carpet to check if her lingerie was underneath it. Disappointed that it wasn't, she clicked her tongue. With his wrinkled top still clasped in her hands, she took a quick whiff.

"No, I wasn't," he defended as she pulled the shirt over her head. It was rather baggy on her petite frame, hanging just over her thighs. "I was merely stating a fact. I really do prefer you without any clothes on. It's such a shame that you have to cover up that amazing body of yours."

Oh God, was she blushing?

How was it that he could say such things and she would turn into mush? It was totally unfair, the affect that he had on her.

She spun around and collided straight into his hard slab of muscles.

"Whoa, girl," he drawled out, low and husky as his arms encircled her slim waist. "You okay, there?"

_Shit._

Whenever he used that tone, it always meant that she was in deep trouble with herself. It was his secret weapon, and he knew it. Troy could possibly make her do almost anything—perhaps even commit a felony—if he continued talking to her in that deep, sexy way.

"I'm fine," she breathed.

"My shirt's a little big for you," he murmured, tugging on a sleeve.

Sharpay coquettishly glanced up at him through her lashes. "I quite like it, actually, I think I'm going to keep it."

"It's yours. Just let me know if you need anymore. I've got plenty at home."

Deciding to rile him up a bit, she stood up on the tips of her toes and brought her lips merely millimeters away from his. "Or maybe you could just walk around topless."

"I will if you will."

"Hmmm…"

And then the split second before he could kiss her, she whirled around on her heels and strutted out of the room with her hips swaying suggestively, knowing full well that Troy would be watching and ogling her. With a playful wriggle of her fingers over her shoulders, she made her way down the stairs to the kitchen, practically skipping down the steps and humming a chirpy tune.

And then she froze.

Because standing a few feet away from her, sitting on a stool in the center island, eating a bowl of cereal, was none other than Ryan Evans. He must've sensed her standing by the doorway gaping at him and lifted his head. She barely blinked, still in stunned silence, hazel eyes wide and mouth hung open. Maybe it was amusing to him, for he did the unexpected and broke into a warm smile, jolting her out of her trance-like state.

_Shit._

Of all inconvenient times he had to be home, Ryan had chosen this one to surprise her. It was incredibly odd, to say the least.

"Morning, Shar," he greeted cheerfully. "Well, are you just going to stand there and stare at me or are you going to join me for breakfast?"

"Erm, hey, Ryan," she uttered nervously; dragging her words out, still unsure what his motives were exactly. The last time they had spoken, it had been in the school cafeteria and Chad Danforth had announced to the entire student body that the twins were adopted. She had fled off right after and hadn't seen her brother since. "What—how—what are you doing here?"

"I live here, remember?" he said through a mouthful of cereal, bits spitting out unceremoniously on the countertop.

"Could've fooled me," she mumbled under her breath.

"Oh, yeah! I've got good news for you," he told her after swallowing his food.

Sharpay crossed her arms across her chest. "What is it?"

However, just as he was about to continue, Troy entered the room right behind her, bare-chested and clad only in his boxers. Almost at once, their eyes met, and it took Troy a split second to detect the animosity in the male sibling. Ryan's face darkened instantly, his expression suspicious and judgmental, and Sharpay's heart sped up uneasily as he glanced back and forth between her and the basketball captain, putting two and two together. When at last his eyes settled on her, the scorching look he shot her way might as well have been a slap to her face, and she recoiled immediately to seek comfort in Troy's safe arms. The motion didn't go unnoticed and if possible, it infuriated Ryan even more.

"What the _fuck_ is he doing here?" he fumed.

Not allowing her brother to deter her like that, she calmly replied. "I invited him over."

Slamming the spoon down, he stormed towards her, nose flaring, but Sharpay wasn't going to show him any weakness. He could say or do whatever he wanted, but she was in control of her own life, and he needed to know that. Squaring her shoulders and tilting her head up slightly, she braced herself for the impact that never came.

Instead, Ryan shocked her again when he stopped an arm's length away, the fire completely gone from his eyes and said, "I'm disappointed in you, Shar." Then, hurt and heartbroken, he brushed past her and headed for the exit.

Somehow, that was more painful to hear, and she didn't even realize the tears streaming down her cheeks until Troy gently turned her around to face him.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

She shook her head. "I need to talk to him," she whispered, and then pulled away to go run after her twin sibling, catching Ryan just as he was about to get into his car.

"I'm sick of this, Ryan!" she shouted. "I'm sick of you guilt-tripping me into getting things your way. This is my life, and you don't get to control it as you like."

He slammed the door shut and went right up to her face. "I didn't even do anything," he seethed through gritted teeth and she could tell that he was doing his best to control his temper. "If you want to go round screwing that son of a bitch, that's your business. I'm done with you, Sharpay. I tried to help you, but you'll never see things my way."

"Why does it always have to be your way? Why can't you just let me be?"

"I fucking did. Look where that got you now."

"You're impossible, Ry! Nothing ever satisfies you, does it?"

He raked his hair in frustration. "You're driving me crazy, Sharpay! What else do you want from me?"

"I just want you to be happy for me," she cried out. "The person I've been in love with for so long finally loves me back."

"Don't be stupid, Sharpay," Ryan spat out. "Have you told him about your situation? Have you?"

She fell silent.

"Come to me again when you do, I dare you. Tell him everything, and then you let me know if he still loves you. He's not a fucking prince charming, Shar, grow up. As soon as you tell him, he's going to freak out and then he's going leave."

"You don't know that," she snapped angrily. "Troy loves me. He's been through so much for me."

"Yeah? But how much more can he go through?"

"Damnit, Ryan!"

"Oh, and guess what? Mum called earlier. She and dad will try to be here for your play, and told me to send her love and regards."

"Wait, what—"

"I'll see you around, Shar."

Those were his parting words before he hopped into his car and drove off as she tried to process what the hell just happened. She hated this feeling, she really did; the constricting emotions when they're all being compressed in her chest and suffocating her even more each time. Somehow, her legs carried her back into the house and back into the kitchen where Troy was fixing some toast. He glanced up when she came into the room, and his forehead creased with concern.

"Hey, is everything okay?"

She bit her lower lip, and stared into his striking baby blues. "You're not going to leave me, right?"

Troy studied her for a moment, and then tenderly cupped her face in his warm hands. "I never want to let go."

"Promise?"

"Till the day I die."

Sharpay collapsed into his welcoming arms and listened to the lull of his steady heartbeat, hoping, just praying, for it to be true.

* * *

In his blinding rage, Ryan somehow found himself rolling up Gabriella Montez's driveway. He didn't even know how he got there, or how he even found his way over. All he saw, burned and deeply imprinted in his brains and branded into the back of his eyes was the image of his sister and Troy Bolton. It started off as innocent as witnessing the way the bastard's arms went around Sharpay's waist, but as his fury started escalating, so were the play-by-plays. Soon, he was mentally torturing himself with the idea of them going at it in her bedroom.

He was mortified.

And disgusted.

Sick to his stomach.

It was getting out of control, and he had to do something.

Pronto.

He got to the front door and began knocking frantically, muttering expletives and impatiently tapping his foot on the tiled floor.

_Unbelievable, __even __her __house __is __pretentious, _he thought scornfully.

A couple of moments later, he heard a faint voice from inside, telling him to cool his jets, and a few seconds later, Gabriella emerged with an annoyed frown, dressed in nothing but a silk nightgown. Her hair was in a tangled mess, so he reckoned he might have woken her up.

"What is it, Evans?" she hissed.

"Houston, we've got a problem," he said in all seriousness. "It's Troy and Sharpay."

"Right now?" Gabriella scowled. "Can't it wait? I'm a little busy."

"With what?"

"Well, I have things to attend to."

Ryan was about to open his mouth and tell her that it was a fucking ridiculous excuse when Jason Cross appeared out of nowhere, buttoning up his pants, seemingly in a rush. He paused at the door upon seeing the blonde actor and smirked like nothing was wrong. Ryan had to resist rolling his eyes. Frankly, what was it with people getting laid and doing the Walk of Shame so early in the morning? They weren't living in the nineties, for heaven's sake.

"Hey, Ryan," Jason addressed with a slight nod, and then turned to the brunette to give her a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks for last night, babe," he winked before scampering off.

Ryan didn't know which was worse: Discovering that Gabriella was a bigger slut than he thought or that she was actually whoring about with a basketball player—and not a very good one too. The latter actually seemed more disturbing.

And then he wondered if she had seen that humiliating video of herself barfing up a hurricane on her best friend's shoe.

"So, Jason, huh?"

Gabriella arched an eyebrow and leaned against the doorframe, one hand perched on her hip. "Oh, don't think I don't know you're fucking Kelsi at every chance you get."

"Touché, Montez."

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"They slept together," he blurted out.

It didn't need any explaining whom Ryan was referring to, and judging by the repulsed look on Gabriella's face, she had it figured out nicely. She dramatically faked a gag and then made a huge show of rolling her eyeballs, but the bitterness didn't quite reach its true potential. Perhaps she was still in that orgasmic bliss because she didn't offer her sarcastic input on the topic. She moved back into the house, leaving the door open, so Ryan took that as an invitation and followed her in.

_Well, __this __is __nice,_ he said to himself as he surveyed the place.

Apart from the horrible choice in flooring earlier out on the porch, everything else was pretty decent, and unlike the cold interior of the Evans mansion, it was rather homey. Dark parquet, family photos hung on the walls, more photos atop antique cabinets, a big comfy sofa in the living room…it was a wonderful place to live in.

So what went wrong?

_That shit-face, Troy Bolton, of course._

Ryan trailed behind her as she trudged up the stairs to her room. He wasn't really sure what he was hoping to find in there, but whatever it was he imagined—voodoo, witchcraft, weird kinky sex toys, a stripper's pole—he was glad they weren't true. Her room was just like any other normal teenage girl's would've been. Green walls, a nice bed—albeit it being a mess at the moment with sheets and covers strewn all over—a bedside table, a vanity desk, a study table; there weren't any signs of psychotic behavior.

Or maybe she was just _that_ good at it.

Gabriella headed for her bed and slumped down on it.

"Fuck you, Ryan, it had actually been a good morning for me," she grumbled, throwing herself backwards onto the soft duvet.

"Hey, for the record, it's been a load of shit on my side too, okay," he said, plopping himself next to her. "At least you didn't have to actually see it."

"You walked in on them?"

Damn, there was that image again, and Ryan shuddered. "Thank God I didn't, actually."

"Huh," Gabriella snorted uncharacteristically. "I always knew she couldn't keep her legs closed around him."

"Careful," he warned. Regardless of what Sharpay had done, she was still his sister, and he loved her.

"Whatever," she went on unapologetically. "Jesus, this bitch just won't quit. She's like this cockroach that you just want to squash right under your shoe."

"Hey, can you stop with the insults, please?" Ryan interrupted exasperatedly. "If you had kept your ex-boyfriend in check, we wouldn't be in this situation right now."

"For your information, we were doing just fine until your ho of a sister came along and shoved her pussy down his dick!"

_Too __graphic,_ he thought, groaning. _This __girl__'__s __got __a __mouth __that __can __make __a __sailor __blush._

"Okay, that's not the point. I'm here because we need to do something fast, and you said that you had a plan. Well, what is it?"

She gave him a catty, secretive grin, one so devious it was bordering on creepy. Then, she sat up and brought her laptop over, opening up a typed-out document and presenting it to him.

"This."

* * *

"You sure you don't want to go to the mall or something?" he asked again.

Sharpay just shook her head and brought her knees up to her chest, curling herself into a ball, never taking her eyes off the television screen. Whatever it was that had happened with Ryan earlier on had left her rather upset. They had been watching movies for hours now, slumped on the couch and pigging on junk food, hoping to cheer her up with some of her favourite shows but it didn't seem like it was working. He had tried earlier to coax her out of her sulkiness, but no matter what he said, she wouldn't open up to him.

Distractedly, he wrapped an arm around her slender shoulders and continued staring blankly ahead, feeling like a useless bag of crap. It stung a little that his girlfriend—he suppose he could call her that now—wouldn't even confide in him for such matters. Wasn't that what he was there for?

_You__'__re __such __a __dumb-ass, __Troy,_ he thought to himself. _First __day __on __the __job __and __you__'__re __already __messing __it __up. __Good __work._

He had raked every square inch of his brains, to come up with something—anything—to take her mind off her problems, but nothing significant popped up, and he was growing desperate. It was depressing to see her so down in the dumps. In fact, he was so close to actually hunting down her douche of a twin brother and demanding he make amends.

"I'm going to go get more root beer," she suddenly announced, startling him out of his daydream. "You want anything?"

Troy smiled warmly down at her, admiring her beautifully delicate features. "No, thank you," he said and then leaned down to kiss her.

"Alright."

As she stood up and headed for the kitchen, Troy noticed her cellphone lying on the spot she had recently vacated, and it suddenly occurred to him. He contemplated it for a moment, wondering if it was such a good idea. But then he thought of Sharpay, and when it came to the blonde, he was willing to do anything for her—even if it meant he had to push his insecurities and selfishness aside. Instinctively, he grabbed the gadget and shoved it into his pocket just as Sharpay came back into the living room where she automatically snuggled up to him with a filled-up cup in her hands.

"Did I miss anything?" she asked.

"I don't think so," he chuckled, holding her closer to his body. "But I can rewind it for you if you like."

"No, it's okay. They all wind up in the same ending, anyways."

Minutes later, Troy figured he ought to put his plan into action. "Hey, Shar, I just realized I haven't given my folks a ring to tell them where I am," he lied, trying his best to sound convincing. "I missed my curfew and I'm sure my dad's furious right now."

Well, that was technically true. His parents were going to flip on him, and he was certain his mother was already trying to convince his father to file for a search warrant. It wasn't his fault, really, his phone battery had died in the middle of the night, and honestly, he didn't want to deal with anymore drama. He was just content with that bubble of happiness in which he and Sharpay had been living in. At that moment, he too had wanted to escape.

Her hazel eyes grew wide open. "Oh shit, you're right! Oh, my God, I'm so sorry, Troy!"

"Calm down, Shar, don't worry, alright? Just let me give them a call."

"Yeah, yeah, that's a good idea," she babbled, disheveled and scooted off him.

Troy got up from the couch, and then bent over to place a kiss on the crown of her head. "Don't worry, I'll be fine," he assured her with a lopsided grin before heading outside to ensure that she wouldn't be able to eavesdrop on his conversation. Fishing her phone out of his pants, he began scrolling through her contacts until he found the person he needed to talk to. Staring at the name across the screen, he hesitated for a while. This was seriously a bruise to his ego, for a fact that he needed someone else's help to cheer his girlfriend up, and most importantly because he recognized that there was only one other person in her life who would understand her inside out. Taking a deep breath, he hit the speed dial button.

It rang four times before someone answered. "Hey, Shar. What's up?"

"Hey, Dan? It's Troy."

There was a momentary pause. "Oh, hey, Troy, what's up? Is something wrong? Did something bad happen?"

"No, no, not like that," he replied quickly. "But listen, man, I need your help. It's about Sharpay. Can you do me a favour?"

Dan's answer was instantaneous. "Sure, what is it? She's okay, right?"

"She's fine, well, physically she is," Troy told him, running his fingers through his shaggy hair. "But, she got into some sort of argument with Ryan this morning, and she seems pretty upset about it. I tried all I could, though, sat through three chick flicks, but nothing's working. She wouldn't even want to go to the mall."

"She's eating though, right?"

"Yeah, but mostly junk food," Troy informed him.

"Shit, that can't be good for her," Dan murmured back from the other end of the line.

"What do you mean?"

"Okay, look, Troy, here's what you're going to do," the other guy said, steady and composed. "Get her to take a nice, long bubble bath, and then rifle through her song collection and put on anything Broadway. Wicked is somehow her favourite, so I recommend you play that. While she's at it, you go and fix her something nice to eat, like a sandwich or a salad. I'll go grab Trista and we'll meet you there in a bit, okay?"

Grateful for the advice and direction, Troy heaved a sigh of relief. "Alright, sure, thanks, Dan."

"No problem, dude."

He hung up, and then decided that he really should let his parents know that he was alive before they did something drastic and embarrassing. Using Sharpay's phone, he pressed on some numbers, dialing up the landline, and even before the first ring could finish, his mum had answered the call.

"Hello?" Her voice was panicked, and he immediately felt bad about what he had done.

"Hey, mum?" he began tentatively.

"Troy! Oh, my goodness, thank God you're safe! Where are you? Are you okay? Where have you been? Why weren't you home? Your dad is absolutely furious with you. You left without a note, and then you didn't answer your phone or return our calls, we were so worried! I was about to call the cops! Where are you—"

"Mum!" he cut in. "I'm fine, okay. I'm over at a friend's house."

"A friend's house? Troy, don't lie to me. I called Chad and I got your dad to call everyone on the team, but nobody said they've seen you or knew where you were, so—"

"Mum, I'm at the Evans'," he notified, keeping his voice as leveled as possible, not wanting to freak his mother out any more than he already had. "You remember them, right? Ryan and Sharpay Evans? I was out with them all day yesterday, we were working on the school play that's coming up, and we were up late and must've dozed off. My phone died on me this morning so I couldn't call you."

So technically, that was also true, somewhat.

"Still, Troy, I would appreciate it if you at least left a note or a message on the answering machine. Can you imagine how it made me feel when you didn't come home at all? Your dad's going to go ballistic!"

"Oh, and about dad," Troy rubbed the nape of his neck. "Could you not tell him where I am right now? He—he doesn't understand what this play means to me, so please mum, please just—just come up with something for me, okay? I'll be back as soon as I'm done here."

The line went quiet, and Troy knew that his mother was thinking it through, weighing the pros and cons, and the consequences. He figured that his father probably wasn't home or he would already be getting one heck of a tongue-lashing.

"Please, mum."

"Fine," she relented, defeated. "Just this once alright, Troy, but just so you know, you're not off the hook. We'll discuss this with your dad when you get home."

Troy sent a silent prayer up to the heavens above. "Thank you so much, mum, and I'm so sorry for making you so worried. I didn't mean to do that."

"It's okay, Troy. I'll see you later."

"Okay, love you mum! Bye!"

"Love you too, honey. Bye-bye."

Troy let out a huge swoosh of air, swiping his hand over his face to smooth out the stress that was probably showing. _Fuck__that__was__intense,_ he thought, and then remembered what he had to do.

The movie was possibly halfway through when he re-entered the living room, Sharpay sprawled out across the length of the sofa with a bowl of popcorn cradled atop her stomach. Slowly, so as not to spook her, he knelt down next to the armrest so that he could reach her ear and gently blew into it. She tilted her head upwards, her face breaking into a smile.

**I would give up everything  
****Before I'd separate myself from you  
****After so much suffering  
****I finally found the unvarnished truth**

"How did it go?"

Troy shrugged his shoulders. "Could've been worse."

"Are you in trouble?" she asked, her eyebrows knitted.

"I guess so. My mum said she and my dad will deal with me later when I get back," he explained nonchalantly.

"Well then, I guess you should go now, then, before you—"

**I was all by myself for the longest time  
****So cold inside  
****And the hurt from the heart it would not subside  
****I felt like dying  
****Until you saved my life**

He pressed his finger against her pouty lips, effectively silencing her while he unleashed the full force of his persuading cerulean blue eyes. "Hey, listen, why don't we go take a nice, long bubble bath? After all of our, erm, activites last night, I feel that we seriously stink."

Sharpay giggled, the light returning just a little bit. Still, it was a good first step. "Alright," she agreed, setting the bowl of popcorn onto the table. Then, extending her hands out, she wriggled her fingers. "Help me up."

Taking advantage of her playful mood, Troy slid his arms underneath her back and knees, and effortlessly lifted her off the couch. Sharpay squealed in delight as she clung onto his neck for support.

**Thank God I found you  
****I was lost without you  
****My every wish and every dream  
****Somehow became reality**

"This good enough for you?"

**When you brought the sunlight  
****Completed my whole life  
****I'm overwhelmed with gratitude  
****Cause baby I'm so thankful  
****I found you**

She laughed this time, a melodic sound to his ears. "Where are you whisking me off to, sir?" she questioned in the sweetest tone possible, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously.

"You'll find out soon enough, milady," he said, flashing his pearly whites before heading up to her bedroom. Not once did his gaze left her angelic features, not even when he was trekking up the stairs, or when he shoved the door open with his shoulder. It wasn't till he carefully placed her down on the soft mattress did he finally tear his eyes away, even so it was because he wanted to set the bath tub for her. Turning on the tap, he made sure the water was at a nice, soothing temperature before searching for some bath salts. When everything was ready, he headed back into her bedroom, and was amused to find her sprawled on her tummy, reading a magazine.

"Your bath, my dear?"

Sharpay lifted her head, her lips curved up in a seductive smirk, her irises dark with lust, and Troy felt his throat close up at the sight of her, all delicious and ravishing. Her blonde hair, although slightly disheveled, tumbled down her shoulders in absolute perfection. Slowly, deliberately, knowing that he was watching and shamelessly gawking, she slid her legs off the bed and daintily set her feet down onto the carpet. Troy swallowed hard as his eyes followed the length of her well-toned calf higher up to her thighs, too engrossed admiring her that he didn't realize her approaching until she was directly in front of him.

**I would give you everything  
****There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do  
****To ensure your happiness  
****I'll cherish every part of you**

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hi."

"You coming?"

"Yeah, just give me a sec, alright?" He still had one more thing to do.

"Alright, but don't take too long," she murmured, her soft lips brushing against his. "Don't want the water to get cold."

Sharpay ushered him out of the bathroom so that she could shut the door and Troy wasted no time searching through the playlist on her laptop, glad that he had secretly taken a peek when she was keying in her password the other time. He quickly queued up the songs from her favourite Broadway musicals, and then quietly entered the bathroom, where he found Sharpay pulling her hair up in a ponytail.

"Did you just put Wicked on?" she narrowed her eyes at him through the reflection in the mirror.

"Uh-huh," he answered, sidling up behind her and wrapping his arms around her slim waist. Running his nose up her neck, he inhaled in her naturally intoxicating scent, and was instantly drunk on the ethereal feel of her silky skin against his fingertips. "Shar…"

**Because without you beside me I can't survive  
****I don't wanna try  
****If you're keeping me warm each and every night I'll be all right  
****Cause I need you in my life**

"Troy…"

He planted a kiss on the outer shell of her ear. "Shall we?"

"Hmm…"

Troy traced a path down to the hem of his shirt—the one that she was still wearing—and began to peel it off her petite frame, lifting it higher and higher, gradually revealing more of her to him. His knuckles grazed the hardened peaks of her breasts and she sucked in a lungful of air, a shiver running down her spine. He grinned, pleased at the reaction in which he'd emanated from her, and in turn dragged his tongue lasciviously along a particularly erogenous spot right beneath her jawline as he cupped her precious mounds, tenderly massaging it. Sharpay sighed in pleasure, throwing her head back to rest on his shoulder and grabbing onto the countertop.

"Oh, God, Troy…"

The shirt came off eventually, landing haphazardly on the ground, careless and forgotten, leaving her clad in only a flimsy pair of panties. Even so, she was wearing way too much clothes for his liking. Moaning, gasping and writhing in the throes of ecstasy, Troy clawed his way up to the band of her underwear and slipped his hands between the sheer fabric, giving it a tug and letting it pool to the floor.

Now, he was satisfied.

**Thank God I found you  
****I was lost without you  
****My every wish and every dream  
****Somehow became reality**

"Get in the tub," he husked.

Pushing herself away from his inviting body, Sharpay climbed into the bathtub and sank into the mountain of foam and bubbles.

"Oh…" she groaned wantonly, closing her eyes like she was in absolute bliss. She looked so peaceful, though, that he almost didn't want to disturb her.

Almost.

**When you brought the sunlight  
****Completed my whole life  
****I'm overwhelmed with gratitude  
****Cause baby I'm so thankful  
****I found you**

After dropping the only article of clothing he had on—his boxers—Troy slinked in, adjusting himself behind her so that she was situated between his legs. The tip of his hardened member brushed over the valley of her butt, sending a jolt of electricity coursing through every nerve ending.

"Your penis is poking me," she teased good-naturedly.

Troy snickered. "That's your fault."

* * *

"You know, Dan, I've noticed something recently."

Well, that came out of nowhere. For the better half of it, Dan was rather content with sitting in the silence as they drove to the Evans' mansion. When it came to small talk and random conversation, Trista was totally shit at it, so for her to make an out-of-the-blue comment would mean that it was probably important—or that something was bugging the crap out of her.

Keeping his eyes trained on the road ahead, he asked, "what?"

"I mean it makes perfect sense, now, doesn't it?" Trista went on vaguely, her hands doing weird gestures. "All of this that you're doing."

Dan sighed exasperatedly, losing his patience. "I have no fucking clue what you're getting at, Tris. You'll have to be clearer about what you're trying to say."

**See I was so desolate  
****Before you came to me  
****Looking back I guess it shows  
****That we were destined to shine**

The brunette tilted her body a little so that she was partially facing him. "You kidnapped her during lunch to make sure she was okay," she started, ticking it off with her fingers, and Dan rolled his eyes. He could already predict where this particular talkfest was heading. "You guys always go skinny dipping together. You constantly flirt with her. Everytime she's got a problem, you'd go to her rescue in a heartbeat—"

"Hey, wait a minute, am I detecting jealousy here?"

Trista snorted. "Yeah, right. Good try, Dan Patch, but everybody knows you can't turn me on to save your life."

"Well, that's insulting," he murmured under his breath.

"No offence, dude, but you're not my type."

"Sure, because apparently Ryan Evans is your type," he retorted.

She smacked his bicep. "Fuck you, and don't try to change the subject."

"What subject?"

"The fact that you're in love with Sharpay," she stated bluntly.

"Yeah, right," he scoffed. "I'm not in love with Sharpay."

**After the rain to appreciate  
****And care for what we have  
****And I'd go through it all over again  
****To be able to feel this way**

"Then why are you doing all this; dragging me out of bed to go check on her?"

"Look, if you didn't want to follow, you could have just told me," he snapped, growing agitated. "Nobody's forcing you."

"I'm not complaining, Dan," Trista frowned, peeved at his tone of voice. "I just want to know why you're doing all this. You're not her boyfriend."

**Thank God I found you  
****I was lost without you**

"I'm just being a good friend, Tris, okay?" he said, now clearly flat-out pissed. "And that's what friends do; be there for each other. Besides, she's _your_ friend too, and don't forget, she's been there for you when you needed her the most. I want her to be happy."

"Why can't you just fucking admit it? You're head over heels in love with that girl, and you don't even know it, because this is beyond what friends do, Dan."

"Then clearly she means more to me than that."

**I'm overwhelmed with gratitude  
****My baby I'm so thankful  
****I found you**

Trista shook her head, her jet-black hair flying across her face. "You're such a pussy, you know that? Why don't you just get over yourself and your giant-ass ego, and admit to yourself that what you feel for her is so much more? You love her."

"You know, what? Fine!" he blew up, hitting the steering wheel. "I love Sharpay Evans, but that doesn't mean I'm _in__love_ with her."

"The sad part about that, Dan, is that it does."

**I'm overwhelmed with gratitude  
****My baby I'm so thankful I found you**

* * *

**A/N:** Yay! Alright, so this whole chapter, basically is a turning point for all the characters. In a short summary, Sharpay and Troy are finally succumbing to their feelings and desires, but Sharpay still has some insecurities about it. Ryan's being a douche and he's plotting something devious with Gabriella. Trista helps Dan realize he might have feelings for Sharpay. This is twisted. 0.0 Anyways, I hope you guys have enjoyed it! Let me know what you think.

**Cheer_Girl_97:** Hi there! Firstly, thank you so much for taking time to read and review my story! I am so glad that you find the previous chapter good, and thank you so much for the amazing comments! I can't make any promises about Sharpay, but I think you might get some answers to your question in this chapter, so you roughly get an idea on Sharpay's stand on her feelings and her feelings towards Troy. I'm am deeply honored! I just hope I don't disappoint you with this chapter. Let me know, yeah? Cheers!

**62toasters62:** Awww…thank you so much! I'm so happy that you liked the previous chapter! It was tough for me to write and I was flipping out and reading a lot of books and putting pieces together to create the best possible scene for Troy and Sharpay. After re-reading it now, it actually came off a little bit cheesy to me, gosh! I'm glad you liked the minor (filler) stuff, like the park and sandwich contest. I wanted to show that Sharpay could actually do mundane stuff with Troy and that she can trust that he wouldn't back off if anything happens. It's always the smaller things that counts right? I've added a bit more smut in this chapter, though not so graphic, but I hope you've enjoyed it nonetheless :D

**Anna:** Hehe…thank you so much for reading my story, and leaving a wonderful review! I just felt that there needed to be a chapter where all the dramas are toned down, and there's just nothing but Sharpay and Troy, and sharing a simple day together. I'm so glad you've enjoyed the previous chapter! Let me know what you think of this one, okay? Hope it gave the same level of intensity as before :D

**Duhhitskatieox:** LOL! Thank you so much for reviewing! Hope this chapter lives up to the previous one! Let me know, yeah?

**Troypay4eternity:** Awww…thank you so much! Gosh, you're making me blush. I'm so glad that you've enjoyed the previous chapter! I'm not going to lie, it was kind of tough to write the perfect scene for Troy and Sharpay. I was constantly not happy with it, and I've changed it up so many times and had so many drafts, I think I went crazy with it, to a point where I told myself that I had to stop and let it go. Truthfully, I've been waiting a long time to write that moment with Troy and Sharpay, that simple moment where they decide they had to be together. The couple-y stuff, that's going to come, don't worry :P Hope you've enjoyed this chapter just as much as the last!

**-xGuiltyxPleasure-:** LOL! Okay, I'll have to reply to your reviews in parts, since you've actually reviewed from chapter 21. And thank you so much, by the way, for doing the tedious and reviewing after every chapter!

Chapter 21: Yes, Troy had it coming, didn't he? But then again, it's such a big news, and even though I'm sure guys tend to keep secrets a bit better than girls, it's quite hard to keep such burning information under wraps, especially from your own best friend. I always believe that people are mean because they're actually just really insecure and vulnerable, but they're too afraid of what people might say or do, so they just pick on other people to cover up their own flaws. And yes, Sharpay is totally a strong person, because even though she's mean and sarcastic sometimes, she doesn't bully people like Santana in Glee. And so, to answer your question, yes, Troy was dating Gabriella in the beginning, but she's changed a lot over time, and he noticed that she wasn't the same person anymore.

Chapter 22: I'd like to think that Dan and Trista are like the angel and the devil sitting on Sharpay's shoulders. Obviously, both of her friends are only looking out for her best interest, even though sometimes their opinions might clash. Dan's the follow-your-heart kind of person, while Trista's the follow-your-head kind, and I think it's always a healthier opinion to follow your heart because then you wouldn't allow yourself to regret. And yes, I couldn't help putting in the Hellcats reference. I'm not sure if you'll reach this chapter in time to read my reply, but I think this chapter has answered some of your questions there. :P

Chapter 23: Country Strong was an okay movie for me, mainly because it's sort of slow-paced, but I liked the Leighton Meester/Garrett Hedlund thing that went on. I like to include songs in because they give more meaning and sometimes they portray the situation better than I can in simple writing. I've got to admit, though, it is tough to go hunt down the right songs, but after a while, I just plug in my iPod and list down the songs that might be appropriate anywhere in the story and make a note of it. Oh yes, sexual tension, my favourite. This scene, actually, was inspired by the movie Simply Irresistable starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Sean Patrick Flanery, where a fruit was involved and then the scene sort of escalated. Yup, you're getting there…

Chapter 24: Really? She's dying? I just think that she didn't have much time…doesn't mean she's dying, right? ;P Well, I'm going to give you a little hint. I'm having a tiny crush on Dan Patch right in this chapter, and he's just a genuinely good person, and I don't want to taint that. So, if anything happens in the future, I really wouldn't want Dan to be the cause of it :D Jealous kick? Maybe…and as you read on, which in turn you'll reach chapter 28, you'll understand certain things and hopefully the whole Dan/Troy/Sharpay thing would be clearer. About Troy and Chad…well…I think that much is answered at this point.

Chapter 25: I've always loved Fred and Daphne together, even more when Sarah Michelle Gellar was playing it opposite her own husband. LOL! Yes, I let the entire CW cast run around in my story in short cameo spurts. It's fun, too! Just imagine being served by Chace Crawford…drools! He lied about lying…so…I realize it's weird now after writing 30 chapters, but at that moment I thought his motive was relevant, and hopefully his reasoning was sane. And I can assure you, a hundred percent, that it will be a happy ending :D

Chapter 26: OMG, I just dedicated one full page for your reviews! LOL! Well, it was once, when Gabriella was being a bitch about Sharpay, and he sort of slapped her, and you're right, it's unacceptable. Guys shouldn't go round slapping girls, too, but I'd like to see it that he has so much passion for Sharpay, it was probably uncontained and caught him at the wrong time, so I'll blow past that whole ordeal. I think Gabriella deserved it, but I'm a girl, so of course I think she did. I try as much as possible to make each kiss between them as unique and special as possible, which can be a bit hard, but anything for Troypay :P Ryan…oh, Ryan…

Chapter 27: Hehe! Chad really is an asshole, isn't he? We should lock him and Gabriella up in a gas chamber. Well, it's true that she's probably punishing the wrong person. She got mad at Troy for telling Chad instead of being mad at Chad for telling the whole world, but I figured in a vulnerable state of mind, you attack the one person you actually care the most because then it'll hurt them just as much as it hurts you. Well, that's my rationale, but it might vary with different people, right? And yes, I like how so much sexual tension is built, there has to be a breaking point, which I'm sure you'll be pleased to read in Chapter 30, which I assume by the time you read this, you'd have finished on that chapter :D

All in all, I'm having so much fun replying to your reviews here! Can't wait for you to update your stories as well!

**TheDude47:** Hello there! I'm so glad I didn't disappoint you with the previous chapter :D I was so nervous about the ending scene when I posted this up, because I wasn't sure if it's too much, or if it wasn't enough, or something…Of course there will be more Troypay! I can't wait to write them! Hope you've liked this chapter!

**CharminglyShar:** Thank you so much for your awesome comments! I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter! Hopefully this updates cuts it for you :D

Song used — "Breathless" by Shayne Ward and "Thank God I Found You" by Mariah Carey feat. Joe and 98 Degrees


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: **Hi guys! Well, initially, I had planned to post this up on Christmas Day, you know, as a gift to all my wonderful readers for being so patient and supportive! However, it seems that I am 2 days late, sorry! Either way, just a heads up for you guys, this is sort of like a filler chapter, a bit of fluff, some confessions…and I'm submitting this on first draft, which means I didn't proof-read it, so I apologize in advance for any grammatical or spelling mistakes.

So, yeah! Enjoy!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 32**

"Alright now, behave."

His tone was condescending, and Trista glared at the guy from across the passenger's seat as they pulled up in front of the Evans' mansion, her ashen grey eyes burning lasers through his thick, sarcastically irritating skull. A deep frown was plastered on her disapproving lips. She did not appreciate him chastising her like she was a kid, which he always seemed to do when it came to Sharpay. He had a demeaning streak about him that only ever was unleashed whenever her blonde friend wasn't around. Sure, Trista could always take the hit—kick him in the nuts if she wanted to—but now that she was aware of Dan's true feelings for Sharpay, she was going to milk it for all it was worth.

_God, he's such a fucking dick!_

She didn't hate him. They were after all really close friends—practically siblings. He'd been there when she was at her lowest, lent a helping hand when her parents had shunned her out of the house, and offered her his shoulder to cry on whenever things got hard. There was nothing that they hadn't gone through together, nothing that they could ever really hide or keep a secret from. The three of them, they knew every page, every single chapter in each other's lives. Perhaps it would be their downfall one day. It didn't take much to figure out whenever something was amiss, and she wondered how long it would take Sharpay to realize it too.

**I gotta figure out a way to tell you  
****I'm going crazy without you  
****I just gotta let you know  
****Listen**

Dan tugged on the handbrake, and she winced as it filled the silence in the car with a wretchedly annoying sound. Damn, how she loathed that he always did that for no apparent reason—like his dipshit truck would drive off on its own—and quickly unbuckled her seatbelt. She was about to fling open the door when she felt a tug on her arm, his large hand gripping onto her dainty wrist, stopping her before she could. Whipping her head around, she came nose-to-nose with him, her features hard and unnerved. His ruggedly handsome face was set in stone, his jaws clenched, and a million shades of emotions swimming in the depths of his ocean blue eyes; something she couldn't comprehend for she had never seen him like that before. The unspoken plea, combined with a stern warning, nearly ruffled her, and after a fleeting moment of vulnerability, she understood everything.

He was brave enough to be in love with a girl he couldn't have.

He was foolish enough to even allow himself to do so, but he hadn't meant for it to happen.

Yet, he wasn't selfish enough to let her know.

"Behave," he repeated.

Trista snatched her hand back and nodded, dropping her gaze.

_Stupid, stupid, son of a bitch._

* * *

They found Troy in the kitchen, his back towards the entrance, rummaging around in the refrigerator. Dan walked over to the center island and glanced down at the semi-mess on the counter. There were plates, slices of bread, a whole array of cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, smoked ham, bacon strips and a bowl of olives across the marble surface. He turned to Trista with raised eyebrows as she smirked in return.

_Seriously, how difficult is it to make a sandwich?_ he wondered.

"Hey."

Dan's voice startled the basketball captain and he jumped, bumping his head against a corner of the door. Beside him, Dan heard Trista snickering and he gave her a sharp warning nudge, a reminder to play nice.

"Ow!" Troy groaned, rubbing the sore spot as he turned around to face them with a lopsided grin, and Dan couldn't help noticing that he was wearing one of Sharpay's bright pink basketball shorts—the one he'd given her as a gag gift last Christmas—and he got it all figured out. "Hey, guys," he said as cheerfully as possible while closing the fridge. "Thanks for coming."

"What's this?" Dan asked in amusement, gesturing towards the kitchen battlefield in front of them, trying to look as neutral as possible. He could already picture the entire scene in his mind, the argument that had occurred that morning between the Evans siblings. "It looks like a warpath."

Embarrassed, Troy reached up to rub the nape of his neck, his cheeks flaming red. "Yeah, well, I couldn't decide what kind of sandwich she would like, so…" he trailed off into a short round of nervous laughter.

"So you decided to butcher the whole bloody fridge?" Trista taunted as she grabbed a fork and stabbed it on a strip of bacon. She held it up to carefully inspect it before taking a bite.

"Tris—"

"I—I didn't think—"

"What are you doing here, Troy?" the brunette cut into his helpless stuttering. She was regarding him with malice judgment, her piercing stare like orbs of steel. Dan heard the sirens going off in his head and knew he had to step in before she did any major damage. He gave her heel a slight kick, his lips pressed in a thin line, but she wasn't getting any of it. "Tell me, Troy. I mean, _really_, what are you doing here at this time of the day?"

Trista wasn't dumb. She had probably noticed Troy's choice in clothing as well and had strung everything together. It wasn't so much disgust—more so overprotective friend—that was channeling through her body language, and Dan got that she was just trying to look out for Sharpay.

"Erm, I—well, I—"

Dan felt sorry for the guy. Troy definitely looked uncomfortable being ambushed like that. Trista really wasn't known for sugarcoating her words, and it was just unfortunate that the poor lad had to be at the receiving end of it. She was like a ticking time bomb, one that he reckoned he should diffuse immediately.

"Trista, stop it—"

"Shut up, Dan," she snapped. "I want to know what he's doing here, traipsing around with one of Sharpay's clothes. Troy?"

"I—me—we, Shar and I—"

_Okay, this is getting out of hand._

"Troy, why don't you go get Sharpay from that bath?" he jumped in, saving Troy from further humiliation. "She's probably fallen asleep in there, and she'll throw a fit if she starts pruning. I'll handle the sandwiches."

A wave of relief washed over Troy's features, smoothing him out of the stressful situation. "Okay, thanks," he blurted out, flustered, and practically tripped over his own two feet as he exited the room.

"What the _fuck_ was that?" Dan lashed out the second Troy was out of hearing range. "I told you to behave."

"Well, excuse me for not being a supportive friend to Sharpay when I find a guy wearing her clothes in her house," she retorted sarcastically with a dramatic roll of her eyes. "Now I'm really curious, Dan. She's hiding something from us."

He sighed, long and drawn-out, sudden overwhelmed with exhaustion as he raked his fingers through his already-mussed hair. Truthfully, the idea that was playing in his head wasn't one he wanted to dwell on, and he didn't want to assume any more than he already had. When Troy had called him earlier, his only priority was to ensure Sharpay was fine. It hadn't occurred to him that something was going on between her and Troy.

Dan decided he needed to move about—a distraction—so he went over to the refrigerator to retrieve the turkey ham slices. "Look, Tris, we're only here for Sharpay. She's upset about the argument she had with Ryan this morning, and we're going to cheer her up," he said, putting together an appetizing sandwich. There were still some more ingredients left, so he made another one. "We're not here to judge her in any way, so why don't you just lay off Troy? It's none of our business and I don't need you making things weird."

"Anything involving Sharpay is our business. She came to us about this Troy crap before, remember?"

"She'll tell us when she's ready, okay? We should trust that she knows what she's doing and respect her decisions."

"Oh, cut the fucking best friend crap, alright?" she scoffed. "You're not fooling anyone here."

"I _am_ her best friend, Tris."

"And how exactly do you feel about all this? Your best friend has another guy over. Don't tell me it's not bothering you."

"It's not."

"Bullshit."

"What the fuck, Tris?"

"Stop being a pussy and go get the girl."

"I've told you, I'm not in love with Sharpay," Dan insisted, trying his best not to lose it. "I thought we've discussed this already."

"And I'm telling you that you're wrong, Dan Patch. Why are you trying to deny it?"

"I can't deny anything if it's not there," he argued, finishing off his second sandwich. Moving over to the sink, he withdrew four drinking glasses from the rack. "Look, I don't want to go over this again. All I'm asking for is that you get your back off Troy's case, alright?"

"But he's—"

"Alright?" he asked again, fixing her with a stern expression.

She held his gaze for a couple of beats until she reluctantly surrendered. "Fine," she huffed sassily. "But I'm not—"

"Do this for Sharpay."

Yes, he was using the friendship card.

Stumped, Trista flung her hands up in the air. "This is so fucked up."

"What's so fucked up?"

The two teenagers whirled around, and Dan felt the rush of air leave his person, his heart rate accelerating just by being in close proximity to the blonde beauty. She was leaning against the doorframe, clad in a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top, her damp hair piled up in a messy bun, with tendrils falling over the sides of her clean make-up-free porcelain face. He'd always known that she was stunning, but something about her then took his breath away.

**Best of friends for years, closer than you can imagine  
****Talk to each other daily, I don't know just when it happened  
****If only I could tell you how I feel inside  
****Girl you got me**

Perhaps it was that glow she was sporting, except it didn't exactly match her expectant hazel eyes.

"Hey, Shar," the two friend echoed simultaneously, just as Troy appeared behind her.

"How are you—"

"Oh. My. God."

Dan winced at the shrillness that was being directed into his ears, totally pissed off now that she had interrupted him yet again. "Fuck, Tris! What's your damn problem?"

"Shar, what's that?"

"What's what?" Sharpay was sincerely clueless as she tilted her head, her brows furrowed, only to unintentionally reveal the root of Trista's mild hysteria.

Feeling his stomach sink further south, Dan tore his gaze away from the dark red patch on the side of her neck—the brandishing of a lover, a territorial mark symbolizing that she belonged to someone else—to stare at the surface of the counter top. This feeling, the sudden heaviness in his heart, it was foreign to him, and he wondered where it came from. The sudden waves of emotions crashing down on him were too all-consuming, so much so that he resented it.

"Oh!"

He lifted his eyes up to where Sharpay's dainty hand now cloaked the offending hickey, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as Troy glanced guiltily at the floor.

"I—erm—well, I—"

"Did you two hook up?"

Silence.

And then a beat or two.

The suspense hung in the air like teardrops of glass waiting to crash.

**You already know that I'm capable  
****Can't you see who's been there all along  
****And I know I can't be wrong  
****Oh tell me**

Seconds ticked by painfully as he watched his best friend and his new friend carry out a muted conversation, until eventually—tentatively—the high school jock reached out and interlaced his fingers with hers.

"Well, actually, we're together now," Sharpay said timidly.

Trista studied them skeptically, quirking an eyebrow. "Together?" she spat out, like bitter venom on her tongue. "As in a couple?"

Sharpay flinched at her tone of voice but nodded in reply. "This isn't exactly how I envision telling you guys," she said, laughing nervously.

"Shar, that's—"

"Great!" Dan cut in with a mega-watt smile—one that he hoped looked convincing—and immediately grasped Trista's wrist, hoping to soothe her temper down before she exploded into a million pieces. "Congrats, you two!"

Relief swept through the blonde girl's features, and a giddy grin stretched across her rosy lips as she wrapped an arm around Troy's lower torso. The intimacy in the gesture made Dan think that he was intruding on something private, so he turned away, dropping Trista's hand and moving towards the refrigerator. Extracting a carton of apple juice and a bottle of soda, he kept himself busy mixing some sort of sparkling concoction near the sink.

**Why, did I have to fall in love with you  
****Como me haces falta tu?  
****When I know, without you I can't function no more**

Trista came up to him, a slightly apologetic look on her face. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, though he wasn't sure whom exactly he was trying to convince.

"Dan, I'm—I'm sorry—"

Tilting his head, Dan presented her with a small confused smile. "What's there to be sorry about?"

Trista reached up and squeezed his forearm affectionately. "You're a really good guy, Dan Patch. Hopefully she'll realize it one day."

"Thank you."

"Hey, what are you guys talking about over there?" Sharpay asked.

Dan chuckled when he saw Trista rolling her eyes. Picking up the glasses of drinks with both his hands, he cued the brunette to help with the other two and they strode back to the center island. He handed one drink to Troy as Trista passed one over to Sharpay.

"I propose a toast," he announced, raising his glass. Without intending to, his aqua blue eyes met the blonde's golden brown ones, and for a split second the dull ache returned. She was gazing at him in that sweet and innocent way, he couldn't find it in him to look away. Choking back his emotions, he graced her with a lopsided smile. "To Troy and Sharpay, to love, and to the many wonderful memories together. Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

**And you, you'll never look at me the same  
****You know it's really driving me insane  
****When I know, without you I can't function  
****Como me haces falta tu?**

He downed his sparkling apple juice in three gulps, wishing that he'd poured some vodka in his, and had to resist the urge to flinch when Troy took Sharpay's porcelain face in his hands and placed a long, lingering kiss on her lips. Unable to fully stomach the scene, Dan spun around and tossed his empty glass into the dishwasher.

"Hey."

And then she was standing there next to him.

"Hey, Shar."

Before he could register anything, she had her arms thrown around his neck, standing on the tips of her toes, and her nose buried to the side of his neck. Utterly caught off guard, Dan took a quick peek towards the other guy in the room, wondering if this was fine with him—considering she was now his girlfriend—but Troy was occupied in an awkward conversation with Trista. His hesitation to reciprocate her embrace didn't go unnoticed and Sharpay clung on tighter, in hopes that he might get the message. Deciding that he had nothing to lose, Dan carefully wrapped his arms around her petite shoulders.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"You deserve to be happy, little doe."

"So do you, Dan Patch," she mumbled, shifting her lips up to his ear. "I love you, so much."

"Love you too."

Eventually, he had to pry himself away from the embrace no matter how much it pained him to let go. It was then that he realized the slight tears in her eyes and got slightly alarmed.

"Shit, hey, you okay?"

"I'm not going to lose you, am I?" she asked softly, a trail of moisture falling over her cheek.

Someone might as well have stuck a dagger into his heart and twisted it around a couple of times. He hated seeing a girl cry, and he hated it even more when he knew he was probably the cause of it. Torn between doing what he wanted so much to do, and what was appropriate at the moment. Against his better judgment, though, he took a step forward and wiped away her tears with his thumb.

"Never."

"Promise?"

"Always."

That earned him one of her stunningly beautiful smiles; the one he knew was reserved just for him. She lightly slapped his chest with her palms and giggled, bunching up the fabric of his shirt. "You're a goof," she told him.

"I don't know what to do with you, Shar," he chuckled, ruffling her hair. "Why don't we go celebrate? I brought my board and we can go down for a surf."

"Sounds great!" Sharpay agreed. "What do you think, Troy?"

Everybody in the kitchen fixed their gazes on the guy. In the meantime, he was tossing cashew nuts into his mouth, either completely oblivious to what was going on, or perhaps he was trying to ignore it.

"Sweetie?"

Troy paused, eyebrows raised. "Huh?"

"Dan suggested we all go surfing," Sharpay said.

"Erm…I don't know how to surf."

"I've got an extra board in my trunk," Dan told him. "We can teach you."

Troy shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, sounds great."

Sharpay squealed—that signature way of hers—and excitedly clapped her hands together before skipping over to her boyfriend. She gave him a quick peck on his cheek before grabbing Trista's hand and hauling her out of the room.

"Where're you going?" Troy called out.

"I need Trista to help me pick out a bikini," she replied.

"Don't take too long," Dan yelled out.

"Shove it, Dan Patch!" came Trista's retort.

And then it was down to this.

Dan figured he ought to go pack some food for the trip, so he pulled out a box of zip-lock bags from the cupboard and started shoving the sandwiches in.

"You need some help?"

Glancing up, Dan gestured towards the fridge. "I think there's a bunch of grapes in there, and some chopped-up fruits. You can pack them up if you like."

"No problem."

And then they were back to the silence as both guys worked on their respective tasks.

"Hey, listen, thank you so much for the advice again, Dan. I really appreciate it."

Right that second, there was a million reasons to dislike the guy and probably a million more to keep him away from Sharpay, but Dan wasn't that sort of person, and honestly, Troy really was a great guy. Sure, he might not be the sharpest needle in the stack, and he was probably a tad bit naïve as well, but even Dan couldn't deny the sincerity and the honesty in his emotions and his actions. If there was someone that could make Sharpay happy, he was positive it would be Troy.

"You're welcome," he said. "So, you and Sharpay…"

Troy nervously scratched the side of his jaw, a tinge of pink creeping into his boyishly handsome face. "Yeah…"

Dan nodded, well aware that this might get awkward really fast if he didn't approach it the right way. Despite what he thought of Troy, he still couldn't help being overprotective of his best friend.

"You care about her?"

"I'm crazy about her, man." There wasn't a beat of hesitation in his confession, but he did look slightly sheepish. "I know it's all kind of fast, and I've made all these stupid mistakes before, but I think I'm back-ass in love with Sharpay."

"You think?"

Troy took a deep breath, as though weighing the meaning of his next words. "No, I _know_ I'm in love with her. It's crazy but I—I can't help it. I've never felt like this about anyone before."

"Not even with Gabriella?"

"No, it was never like that with her," he admitted. "With Gabriella, it's constantly about trying to satisfy her." Dan's eyebrows sprung up, but Troy was quick to defend his statement. "I mean—I don't mean to satisfy her, not _that_ way, and I've never, we've never done it—"

That poor guy was rambling again.

"I get it."

"Right…" Troy dragged out, exhaling slowly. "It's just that, I can always be myself with Sharpay. She's never made me feel any less about myself and she's such an amazing girl. She makes me want to be a better person."

"Dude, that's—"

"Sappy, I know. Shit…"

"Yeah, well," Dan clicked his tongue and shrugged. "It could've been worse. You could've been wearing a skirt."

Sharing a round of laughter, both boys found a certain sense of peace with each other.

"You're a good guy, Troy," Dan told him after they had quietened down to continue with their respective chores.

"And you've been a phenomenal friend to Sharpay, you know, she speaks really highly of you."

"She's special. Cherish her, alright?"

Troy glanced up and met his gaze. "I will."

"And I know she always likes to think that she's strong and all, but she's actually quite fragile. Hurt her and I swear, Troy, I will hunt you down and kick your ass." His tone might not have been harsh, but the sentiment behind his threat was more than real.

"I don't want to ever hurt her, Dan."

"Good to know."

And then they were back to the uneventful lull in the kitchen.

"Can I ask you something?"

Dan glanced sideways over at the other guy. "Sure."

"Had anything happened, you know, between you and Sharpay before?"

Pausing in the midst of sealing the some crackers into a zip-lock bag, Dan cleared his throat. It wasn't entirely an unexpected question, because somehow, he saw this coming. He didn't owe Troy an explanation, and he wasn't sure how much the other guy already knew of his friendship with Sharpay, but he didn't want to be the one to unintentionally let anything slip.

**Hardest thing about this confession is  
****I just might ruin what we have  
****I don't wanna lose what we got  
****But it's a chance I'll have to take (oh)**

"I'm sure everything you want to know, you've probably already heard from her."

"But I want to hear it from you."

"Look, Troy, you have absolutely nothing to worry about, okay? Sharpay and I, we're just friends. She doesn't think of me as anything more."

"What about you?"

* * *

"Okay, spill."

Sharpay rolled her eyes so far back, she was positive she saw the back of her skull. Heading over to her massive wardrobe, she began rummaging around for her favourite bikini as Trista slumped down on her bed, still slightly unmade and disheveled from the previous night's raunchy escapade. She had half the mind to point it out to her best friend, but decided she didn't exactly want to listen to any more inappropriate comments.

"What's there to spill, Tris?"

With her nose still poked in the piles of clothes, she heard the brunette huff dramatically. "From the top. How did this happen? How was he? Is he good in bed? What's your favourite position? The missionary? God, how big was he?"

Feeling the heat rise in her cheeks, Sharpay practically shrieked. "What? Which one is it?"

"Start from the beginning," Trista decided.

Sharpay glanced over her shoulder to where Trista was lying across the duvet, flat on her belly with her legs kicked up behind her, and elbows propped up to support her head from underneath her chin with a puppy-dog look on her face.

_God, I hate that look._

"Fine," the blonde relented, caving in at last. She walked over to the bed and plopped down next to Trista. "I'll tell you everything, but you've got to promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"No crude remarks," Sharpay told her.

It was Trista's turn to roll her eyeballs.

"Promise me!"

The other girl sighed, as though the task was painfully difficult to follow. "Okay, okay."

Satisfied with her reply, Sharpay brought her knees up to her chest and made herself comfortable on the bed. She took a deep breath, and then started explaining everything to her most trusted friend. Starting from the morning after that night in the club, when Troy offered to go grocery shopping, to the sandwich-making contest that had ended with a kiss. True to her word, Trista hadn't made a single peep throughout the entire story, even after Sharpay had lengthily described the cheesy confessions word for word, or when she had deliberately made every interaction between her and Troy a mushy gag-worthy moment. The brunette did, however, offer irritable snorts and disinterested scoffs, which definitely didn't go unnoticed.

"Shar, don't get me wrong," Trista eventually spoke up after she was done. "I'm incredibly happy for you, and not just because you get to tap that fine piece of ass, but don't you think this is going a little too fast? You barely even know that guy."

Sharpay paused for a moment while her fingers idly played with the material of her coverlet. "Truthfully, I don't know, Tris. But—I—last night just felt so…right."

"Telling him you love him, and then have him fuck your brains out is a huge step. You sure you're ready for it?" Trista asked cautiously.

"Okay, first of all, can you not use 'fuck your brains out'? It's not just about sex, here."

"So what is it?"

"We were making love." Her answer was spontaneous, and it rang so true to her, no matter how foreign it was to say it out loud.

"Are you sure you love him, Sharpay?"

There was no doubt about it at all. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Why—why him?"

"Because he understands me like no one else does. I can be myself whenever I'm around him. I don't have to hide behind all the bitchy Ice Queen façade when he's with me. He knows about my flaws and my weaknesses and he still loves me in spite of it all," she said, a small smile playing upon her rosy lips.

"What about Dan?"

**Don't wanna spend my whole life  
****Wondering what it feels like  
****Being there beside you and kissing on you all night  
****See I've been making a mistake oh no**

Sharpay tilted her head in confusion. "What about him?"

"You two seem to have this thing—this connection—going on, and he knows every single thing about you and—"

"Wait, Tris, what are you talking about?" Sharpay cut in, this time clearly not getting where the other girl was heading. "What are you trying to say here? If I'm thinking what I think you're thinking, then I've got to tell you, Dan's like a brother to me. I love him, and I know he loves me, but it's not like that at all."

"Have you told him yet?"

"Told who?"

"Troy."

Scrunching her forehead together, Sharpay asked, "told Troy about what?"

"Everything," Trista said sharply. "You. Your situation."

Exasperated, Sharpay threw her hands up in the air. "Why is everybody making such a big deal about that? First it was Ryan, and then now you're giving me a hard time about it too?"

"Because it is."

That tone in her voice, Sharpay knew it all too well. "You're judging me, aren't you?"

Trista hauled herself up to a sitting position, but she didn't answer right away. "I'm just looking out for you, Shar, and so is Dan. We're really happy for you, and we trust that you know what you're doing and what's best for you, so as friends I'm not going to dictate your life decisions. However, I just want you to know that no matter what happens, we're always here for you, okay?"

"What did you _think_ is going to happen?"

Realization seemed to hit the brunette. "Nothing!" she blurted out. "Look, all I'm saying is that, you've got to tell Troy about it at some point. He deserves to know, and when he does, it might not turn out the way you'd imagined—"

"You're saying that he's going to leave me," Sharpay pointed out flatly.

"I didn't say that!"

Sharpay narrowed her eyes. "But that's what you meant, wasn't it?"

"I just want to make sure that you're not expecting too much, okay?" Trista said, rolling off the bed and moving towards the opened wardrobe.

"Troy's not going to leave me."

"Then why haven't you told him yet?"

**You already know that I'm capable  
****Can't you see who's been there all along  
****And I know I can't be wrong  
****So tell me**

She opened her mouth to defend her actions but no words came out, and so she thought hard, willing herself to conjure up an explanation—anything—to rationalize her decisions. Was there a logical reason behind it? The fears that were addressed to her, were those true? Had Trista been right all along?

_No, I trust Troy with all my soul!_

So what's stopping her?

Just then there was a knock on the door.

"Are you girls decent in there?" came Dan's voice from outside.

"No, we're busy having a pillow fight," Trista retorted sarcastically. "Naked."

Dan popped his head into the room, a hopeful expression plastered on his face, all smiles and schoolboy sunshine. "Can I join in?" Before he knew it, a pillow came soaring through the air, hitting him square in the nose.

"Pervert."

Laughing good-naturedly, he stepped into the bedroom and picked the offending object off the floor, flinging it back to the brunette. He took in his surroundings and then pouted exaggeratedly. "Hey, you girls aren't naked."

"Sorry to disappoint, Danny boy," Sharpay giggled, hopping off the bed to go find for that missing bikini of hers.

"I was actually really looking forward to it, too," he whined, like a toddler being deprived of his favourite candy. "It's like my all-time fantasy."

From the walk-in wardrobe, Sharpay snorted in an un-lady-like manner and continued rummaging around for that illusive swimwear. She was sure it was in there somewhere.

"You're disgusting, Patch," Trista scowled.

"Are you girls ready yet?" Dan asked. "We should probably leave soon if we want to catch the tide."

"I can't find my bikini!" Sharpay cried out, tossing shirts, shorts and skirts aside.

"Dan, go help that poor girl," Trista ordered.

Huffing in exasperation, the blonde began raiding her underwear drawer. She discovered her white one-piece, and those dreadful purple ruffled tankini, even that horrendous silver halter-neck top she thought she had thrown out, but her favourite pair was nowhere in sight. How was it possible?

"Need a hand?"

Sharpay almost jumped out of her skin, startled, when Dan's silky smooth voice and warm breath tickled the side of her face.

**Why, did I have to fall in love with you?  
****Como me haces falta tu?  
****When I know, without you I can't function no more**

"Jesus, Dan!" she gasped, clutching a hand to her chest.

His chuckle was low, a sort of sexy rumble deep in his throat. "Sorry, sorry," he apologized. "You need help?"

Sharpay heaved a sigh. "I can't find that bikini."

Dan gingerly started sifting through her clothes. "Which one?"

"You know…"

"Oh!" He must've known which pair she was referring to. "When's the last time you wore it?"

"I don't know," she shrugged her slim shoulders. "I've searched everywhere."

"Maybe they're in one of your bags?" he suggested, reaching out for her duffel.

As he rifled through it, Sharpay continued with her search in the wardrobe.

"Couldn't you just wear something else?" Trista questioned, boredom in her voice.

"No, those are my favourite!"

"Why?"

Sharpay turned to Dan and saw how his face automatically flushed a deep shade of crimson. Trista glanced between the pair and broke into a huge smile.

"Oh, my God," the brunette snickered. "Dan Patch, you cheeky son of a gun."

"I thought it would look good on her," he mumbled, refusing to look up as he searched through another backpack.

"Seriously?"

Shooting the other girl a warning glare, Sharpay went back to the mission at hand. She really did love that particular pair of bikinis, and it wasn't only because Dan had given it to her for Christmas last year, but it really _did_ look great on her. It just goes to show how much more he knew about her.

"Hang on, I think I found it—"

"Hey, guys?"

Heads whipped around at the new addition. In the doorway stood Troy, looking mildly embarrassed to be interrupting something. His cerulean blue eyes landed on Dan and the piece of cloth hanging down from his hand, and his eyebrows sprung up in surprise. Sharpay followed his gaze to the paisley-patterned bikini bottom, effectively snatching it from between Dan's fingers and hiding it behind her back.

**And you, you'll never look at me the same  
****You know it's really driving me insane  
****When I know, without you I can't function no more**

"Troy…" Trista, being the bravest of them all, spoke up.

The basketball captain cleared his throat. "Ready yet?"

"Yeah," the trio chorused.

"I'll just…change first."

* * *

Perfect.

It was just the thing she needed.

Sharpay speared her blue thruster into the ivory-white sand and inhaled in the salty sea air, admiring the ever-present picturesque view of the scenic aquamarine ocean. The midday sun was already high up in the cloudless sky, beating down mercilessly on the beach-goers, granting service to the couple of people tanning by the shore. Bunching her strawberry-blonde hair up in a ponytail, she lifted her sheer chiffon kaftan cover-up over her head and stripped out of her denim shorts, allowing the cool breeze to caress her skin. She gazed out at the horizon, noting the handful of surfers already catching some average-sized waves.

"Looks good out there, doesn't it?"

She felt his hands snake around her waist from behind and craned her neck to face her boyfriend. The wind had blown wisps of his copper bangs into a messy array, mussing it even more than ever. His striking sapphire eyes reflected nothing but joy and wonder—a combination made even more hypnotic by the radiance in his smile. Lord help her, for she was so utterly in love with him. "Yeah, it does," she murmured contentedly, leaning into his embrace.

"You think you'll be able to catch a decent surf?" he asked, trailing his lips down the outer shell of her ear in a way that made her shiver despite the weather.

"I hope so."

"All right, you two lovebirds," Trista chirped up all of a sudden, breaking the couple out of their blissful spell. "Me and Dan are going out there to murder some waves. You'll be able to handle him alone right, Shar?"

"I'm sure I can manage," the blonde replied giddily.

"Alright then," Dan said, coming up beside her with his board tucked underneath his armpit, his ankle leash already strapped on. He gave the two teenagers a playful wink. "Good luck!"

Sharpay watched as her two best friends jogged over to the water, wishing she could join them. The ocean seemed so alluring, she couldn't wait to have a taste of the curls. Nevertheless, she knew she had an important task: to teach Troy how to surf. His strong arms tightened affectionately around her dainty frame, and she let out another round of giggles as Troy started nuzzling his nose into the length of her neck, the slight stubble tickling the sensitive spots below her jaw. She gasped all of a sudden when she felt his tongue trace a lazy path over her collarbone.

"Hmm…salty," he muttered.

"Troy, no," she groaned, trying to wriggle her way out of his grip. "We can't do this here."

"Why not?"

"Because we're in public?"

"I want to let people know you're mine," he pouted.

"I'm sure the entire population already know that," she teased back, poking his hard stomach.

"Okay, fine," he relented and reluctantly released her.

Free from his grasp, Sharpay spun around to properly face him. However, before she could get any words out, he had swooped down and ceased his lips upon hers in a deep, wanton kiss, sneaking his tongue in to lave at the inner contours of her mouth. If it weren't for the necessity of air, she probably wouldn't have ended it, but as she broke away, flustered and worked up, she struggled to locate her bearings. Holding on to his biceps for support, Sharpay was still reeling from the sheer intensity of his kisses.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it."

There it was again, that irresistibly charming smile.

"That's okay," she said breathlessly, gazing up into his magical orbs.

"You don't have to teach me how to surf, you know," he told her as he tenderly stroked her cheek. "You can go have fun with your friends."

Sharpay shook her head and grinned assuredly. "No, it's okay. I want to do it."

"You sure? No regrets?"

Using her hold on his as leverage, Sharpay raised herself up on her toes and placed a sweet kiss on his full lips. "I'm sure."

"Okay, so…"

"You can start by losing the shirt," she said coquettishly, running her fingers suggestively across the hem of his top.

"You just want to check my abs out."

"No, I just want to flaunt my boyfriend for a bit," she returned with an impish grin.

"Really?" Troy quirked an eyebrow and tilted his head. "So is that all I am to you? A prized trophy to parade around with?"

Sharpay, knowing that he was kidding around, decided that two could play the game as well. She bit on her bottom lip and took a step forward. "Well, what else is there?"

"How about the fact that I love you?"

"Aww…love you too," she cooed and leaned in for another kiss. "Okay, let's do this."

"So…shirt off?"

"Definitely."

* * *

"You're losing it, Dan Patch."

Groaning in humiliation from yet another disastrous wipeout, he hauled himself back to straddle his board and shook the seawater out of his hair just as Trista paddled up beside him. He ignored her comments, still panting from the aftershock of his sixth consecutive plunge. It was a serious kick to his ego and he felt like such a fucking amateur, wondering what the hell was wrong with him that day.

"You totally got chewed up back there, what's up?"

"Just leave me alone, will you?" he mumbled as they drifted for a bit, gazing straight ahead towards the shore where he instantly spotted the two teenagers. Even from a distance, Dan could see how happy they were together, how well they complimented each other, and what a truly perfect pair they made.

**It ain't easy loving you when you're loving him  
****There's no words that can describe (words that can describe)  
****How it leaves me empty inside (how it leaves me so empty inside)  
****When all I want is you**

Sharpay was currently lying on her thruster, demonstrating the techniques on how to go about standing on the board from a push-up position on the sand, while Troy tried to copy her movements. He watched as she corrected his posture and then gave a couple of pointers like a professional that she was.

"Is that why you're in such a shit-like shape today?"

Dan sighed in exasperation. He knew the peace wouldn't last.

"What are you talking about?"

Trista jutted her chin out towards the shore. "Sharpay and Troy. How are you holding up?"

"Just drop it, okay?"

The instruction was simple, but in typical Trista Ray fashion, she disregarded rules like they were meant to be broken. "Do you regret it?"

"What?" He wasn't masking his irritation any more.

"Do you regret it?" she repeated.

"I heard you the first time," he snapped. "Regret what?"

"Telling her how you feel."

Hopefully the playing-dumb act would work this time round. "And how exactly _do_ I feel?"

"Drop the fucking act, Patch."

_Shit, it didn't work._

"Do you regret not telling her how you feel?"

There was no way to weasel out of this one, so he just hoped he could fake it better than he thought. "I don't feel anything for her."

She smirked and shook her head, her piercing glistening in the sun. "Oh child, you're such a terrible liar, I feel like punching you in your handsome face right now."

Dan scoffed at the idea. It was entertaining, really, if it wasn't for the fact that he could actually lift the brunette up with one arm and dunk her in the ocean. "I would've already done that if you weren't a girl."

"You're avoiding the subject," she pointed out.

"What subject?"

"You know what I think, Dan?"

"Well, I'm sure you're going to tell me anyway," he retorted.

"I think that it's time you find your own happiness."

**Why, did I have to fall in love with you?  
****Como me haces falta tu?  
****When I know, without you I can't function no more**

At that, he turned his head to face her. "Who said I'm not happy?"

"It shows, Dan," she said, a sympathetic look in her gray eyes. "You're only happy when you're with her, but she belongs to someone else now and—"

"If she's happy, then that's all that matters," he cut in; interrupting what he felt would be words he didn't want to hear.

**And you, you'll never look at me the same  
****You know it's really driving me insane  
****When I know, without you I can't function no more  
****Como me haces falta tu?**

"You're never going to tell her, are you?"

"Never."

* * *

**A/N:** So, I told you it was a filler chapter, didn't I, but the next chapter's going to be filled with drama, what with school and all…hint, hint! As always, I'd like to thank everybody for reading and reviewing my story! I just realized that I've written this for 4 years now and I think that it's only halfway through. I just hope I can finish this before everybody starts growing a beard :D

**goldenboy4786:** Thank you so much for reviewing! Hope you've enjoyed this chapter :D

**nikita jain:** Hi there! No worries about the exam deal, I understand, and I appreciate it so much that you've read and reviewed the previous chapter! And I'm doing real good, actually, thanks for asking :D Good luck on your exams! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

**xGuiltyxPleasure:** Hey there! So herein begins the next series of replies to your reviews! I'm glad you've finally caught on to the story and hopefully you're enjoying it so far!

Chapter 28: Well, sometimes reviews also give me ideas whenever I'm stumped with my writing. I like the interaction I get with my readers because their views on certain characters also affects the way I write them, so I've always appreciated the good comments as well as the criticisms. Dan Patch is a gentleman. As you probably have read in this chapter (chapter 32), he's not going to do anything to ruin Sharpay's happiness, even if on some level he has to push his feelings aside, whatever those feelings are. And him ending up with Trista…well…you know…no comment on that one :P

Chapter 29: I've always wanted Dan and Sharpay's friendship to be special, and on a certain level, they have an undeniable connection, which can sometimes be mistaken for feelings that are deeper than what it can be. I like to think that there are two different ways to love two different guys (not that I've ever experienced it), but Dan's feelings had always been there, he just didn't know it, and now that we have Troy in the mix, he's trying to deal with it but yet he doesn't want to confront it exactly…am I making sense here? LOL! I absolutely love the while Gabriella Youtube scene, it was hilarious and so much fun to write! The steamy dance number…gosh, that was so hard to write! I flipped through books after books just to get things right, but I'm glad it worked out okay :D

Chapter 30: Well, this must've been your all-time "FINALLY!" chapter, in which from your epic review, I can tell you've very much enjoyed it :D Oh yes, the confessions and the passionate scene…I think I probably spent a whole night trying to figure that scene out, and then days later writing and re-writing to perfect every sentence. I'm glad you found it hot! It meant that my job's done there :P Ah yes, Wicked! Love the musical to bits! One more chapter to go!

Chapter 31: More steamy Troypay moments…oh, that was a thrill to write :P The bath tub scene, the morning after scene…it was all magical in my head till I realized I had to translate it all into words…and then that sort of jammed my mind up for a bit. Ryan…well, Ryan is trying to be the brother of it all. He just doesn't know what he had gotten himself into, especially with a psycho like Gabriella. And you are very welcome for reviewing each and every chapter! It's my outmost pleasure to reply to them all. Well, I A/N each chapter and each reviewer because I have a habit of not checking my inbox regularly, and then I'll feel bad for replying late or not replying at all, so this sort of enables me to reply in one go to everybody.

So there it is! Hope you've enjoyed this chapter! A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you!

**Anna:** Hello there! Love your cute way of reviewing with all the sound effects! It made my day! Thank you so much for the lovely comments and I truly appreciate you reading my story! Let me know what you think of this update, yeah? Merry Christmas to you! And a wonderful New Year!

**62toasters62:** Thank you so much! Troypay moments are a given, and it's probably going to escalate now that they're officially together :P I like sassy Gabriella too, and since she's supposedly intellectual at some point, I get to play around with her wit too! Ryan's just trying to be a brother. It's too bad he decided to listen to Gabriella…This chapter's a bit of a filler, but I think it puts a bit of perspective on how Dan feels about Sharpay, and probably how being with Troy might affect their relationship a little. Glad you liked the previous chapter! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you!

**Duhhitskatieox:** Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked the last chapter! Hope you liked this update! Let me know what you think! Merry Christmas to you and wishing you a wonderful New Year!

**LeLaLa:** LOL! Thank you so much for reviewing! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Song used — "Driving Myself Insane" by Frankie J


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: **Yes, this is an update! It went faster than I thought, and I was so glad that certain parts just wrote itself. I haven't done a proof-read of this chapter, maybe because I'm actually excited to put this up, so forgive me for all the stupid grammar/spelling mistakes.

Enjoy!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 33**

Everything was pitch black.

All she could feel was his warm, slightly calloused hand encompassing her dainty one, guiding the way as she took careful steps and tried not to grin like an idiot.

**I can show you the world  
****Shining, shimmering, splendid  
****Tell me, princess, now when did  
****You last let your heart decide?**

They had been walking for a while now, and she hadn't stopped giggling since he'd blindfolded her in the car and drove them off to God-knows-where. She would bug him for answers, but he'd refused to answer her. In fact, the only way of knowing that he hadn't actually abandoned her in the middle of a cornfield was through his constant reassuring touches. Occasionally, he would lean over and kiss her on the lips, leaving her spine tingling at every unexpected moment.

"Are we there yet?"

"Just a bit more," he whispered.

Behind the piece of cloth, she rolled her hazel eyes, wishing she had worn a better pair of shoes. Hiking around in her favourite Louboutin heels wasn't exactly the most ideal of situations, especially since the night air had gotten chilly and all she had clad on was a next-to-nothing canary-yellow sundress.

"Okay, stop," he said. "But don't remove your blindfold yet."

**I can open your eyes  
****Take you wonder by wonder  
****Over, sideways and under  
****On a magic carpet ride**

He gently released her hand, and for a split second she panicked, but then she heard some soft clinking sounds. "What are you doing?"

"Alright, take it off."

Lifting the blindfold off her head, she blinked for a bit, adjusting her eyesight to the dark surroundings, making out distant shadows of trees against the velvet star-dotted sky. She frowned; brows furrowed and tried to recall if anything seemed familiar, but for the life of her couldn't remember ever being there.

Sharpay spun around. "Where are—"

And then she gasped.

For she had never seen anything quite like it.

**A whole new world  
****A new fantastic point of view  
****No one to tell us no  
****Or where to go  
****Or say we're only dreaming**

Standing at the edge of a cliff, miles away from the bustling noises of the city, overlooking the crashing waves below, was a spread of purple, green and yellow unlike any other painted strategically above the horizon, dusted with speckles of light—an aurora so ethereal and so beautiful—it literally took her breath away. Cast overhead in a silvery, spherical mass, was the full moon, glowing high and proud. Like a spotlight illuminating down on them, she fixed her gaze upon his handsome features. Spread out in between them on the ground was a blanket, a picnic basket sitting nicely atop it, two wine glasses and a bottle of champagne.

**A whole new world  
****A dazzling place I never knew  
****But when I'm way up here  
****It's crystal clear  
****That now I'm in a whole new world with you**

"You like?" he asked shyly.

"I love it!" She walked towards him, still in awe. "How did you—"

He cut her off again, capturing her lips with his and effectively silencing her as their mouths fused together in a searing kiss. Her hands grappled at the lapels of his plaid button-down, tugging him closer, while his found their way to the small of her back, pressing her hard against his solid frame, writhing in ecstasy when she felt his straining bulge settle on the mound between her bare legs.

**Unbelievable sights  
****Indescribable feeling  
****Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling  
****Through an endless diamond sky**

If there was any sense of preservation still in her, it had promptly left her wanting body the moment he traced his way down to grasp the back of her thighs, hoisting her up as she swiftly kicked off her stilettos and wrapped her slender legs around his tapered waist. She whimpered as he tore his lips from her swollen ones, only to let out a satisfied sigh right after he latched them on an erogenous spot right underneath her jawline.

**A whole new world  
****(Don't you dare close your eyes)  
****A hundred thousand things to see  
****(Hold your breath, it gets better)  
****I'm like a shooting star  
****I've come so far  
****I can't go back to where I used to be**

"Oh, Troy…"

**A whole new world  
****(Every turn a surprise)  
****With new horizons to pursue  
****(Every moment gets better)  
****I'll chase them anywhere  
****There's time to spare  
****Let me share this whole new world with you**

He laid her down on the blanket, cautiously so as not to crush her with his weight and then paused to glance down lovingly into her eyes, one finger idly toying with a blonde curl.

**A thrilling chase  
****A wondrous place  
****For you and me**

"Shar, I—"

There was a loud blaring.

A very loud, deafening blaring in her ears.

* * *

_Damnit!_

That blasted, incredibly annoying alarm clock just had to ruin a perfectly good dream. Eyelids still sealed shut; her hand shot out from under the covers and slammed down hard on the offending object. As soon as the ringing stopped, she slumped back deeper into her duvet, and pulled the bright pink sequin-studded sleep mask off her face.

Staring up at the ceiling, the recollection of events that had happened in the past couple of hours came rushing back to her. Drunk and still giddy from sleep, she spread her arms across the span of her bed and giggled to herself, remembering how much fun she had the day before, surfing with her boyfriend and her two best friends. It was just the thing she needed—some fresh air, the sun, the sand and the sea.

She chuckled then, reminded of Troy's countless hilarious attempts to stand on the surfboard, and then failing miserably in various awkward ways. He'd land on his back, his front, his butt, his head, oh dear, even his face! Sharpay had to even ask him to stop on certain accounts because she couldn't stop laughing her ass off, to which he'd grumble and sulk on for a while before getting over his depleting ego and determinedly trying again.

Eventually, on the umpteenth stab at it, he had managed to wobble on for a full five seconds before tumbling into the water again. Still, he had rejoiced in that small victory. Sharpay had wanted to stay and watch the sunset, but Trista had something urgent to get back to, and Dan was her ride, so it had been just the lovers sitting alone in the sand, admiring the sky as the sun sunk below the horizon, how the colours changed into the dark night.

They had then driven back to the Evans' mansion, and upon realizing how late it was, Troy had decided he ought to get back home before he could get into any more trouble with his parents.

Sharpay was jolted back to the present by the soft bleeps of her cellphone, alerting her of an incoming text message. Grabbing the gadget off her bedside table, her smile grew wider when she saw whom it was from.

_Good morning, gorgeous! Are you awake yet?  
__-Troy_

Sitting up on the bed, her fingers flew across the keypad to type a response.

_Good morning, handsome! Can't wait to see you in school.  
__-S_

Sharpay sent the text message out and cast the phone back on her bedside table. Peeling the comforter off her body, she hopped out of the bed and stretched her arms up above her head. It didn't take long for Troy to reply.

_Can't wait to see you too, beautiful. Love you.  
__-T_

A tingle of excitement coursed through her spine as a warm blush crept into her cheeks. Suddenly feeling like a smitten fourteen-year-old girl, she had to resist the giant urge to grab her pillow and roll around in a fit of giggles. God, the things that boy was doing to her. It was so un-Sharpay-like to be this heady and love struck over a boy, this overwhelming sensation so alien yet so inviting to her, she didn't know if it was emotionally possible.

_Love you too.  
__Xoxo  
__-S_

Sharpay hopped into the shower, humming to herself, positive that it was going to be a wonderful day. Turning on the tap, she allowed the warm water to trickle down her back, easing out the slight tension in her muscles from the remnants of all the grueling activities of the day before.

_Well, not really,_ she thought with a mischievous smirk.

There were plenty of such 'activities' that she very much enjoyed. Squirting some vanilla-scented shampoo into her palms, she began lathering up her blonde tresses. The feel of Troy's fingers threading through her hair, softly massaging her scalp, was still very much deeply imprinted into her nerves, leaving burning trails in its wake. His hands really were talented, and he had indeed used it to his great advantage—one that she had thanked the Lord for and screamed to the heavens above on so many instances.

In less than an hour, she'd be able to see his boyishly good-looking face again. Just the thought of it brought a whole new flurry of butterflies fluttering in the pit of her stomach. She wouldn't have to painfully keep her emotions all to herself anymore, or constantly remind herself to not pounce onto him at any chance she could get. She could kiss him all she wanted to in school.

School.

Her eyes popped open at the new realization.

School.

Where she would have to face the entire student body.

Out of nowhere, a new contrasting set of doubts hit her hard like a whack on the back of her head with a baseball bat. Twisting on the knob of the tap, she started rinsing out the foam, her smile now completely transformed into a frown. Overcome with a forthwith surge of insecurity, she began applying some conditioner, being sure to pay equal attention to each strand.

What was going to happen to her and Troy in school?

Would he address them as an official couple now? Would he acknowledge her as his girlfriend?

Sharpay shook her head, trying to dispel the uncertainties.

They had yet to discuss that topic—the one that defined what they were—and it only occurred to her at that moment how stupid that was. For the past two days they had been living in this bubble of bliss, the idea of returning to reality had seemed so distant and unnecessary. But now, as she did a final wash of her hair and toweled it dry, staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, she couldn't help but wonder what everybody else would say.

_Stop it, Sharpay,_ she internally scolded. _You're only being ridiculous._

It shouldn't affect her like this, and she was aware of that, because after so long, she should have been accustomed to the hushed whispers, the false accusations, the hurtful remarks, but of all people, she should also know that it never got easier. She had already sparked quite a reputation for herself even before this situation with East High's basketball captain, she didn't really need to blow it up anymore. It will definitely allow for more talk amongst the student body, especially since nobody would really accept it.

Sharpay sighed and headed for her walk-in wardrobe to put together an outfit for the day. She stood there for a while, just studying the array of colours and materials without much luck. Her preoccupied mind wasn't allowing her to enjoy the fun of piecing together a smashing get-up, and it was bringing her mood down a couple of notches.

_This definitely isn't how I want to start the day at all._

Resigning any intentions for couture creativity, she simply extracted out a cyan-blue lace sundress and a pair of snow-white knee-length leather boots to go with it. She sat in front of the vanity desk, primping her hair up to perfection as her head wandered back to the topic at hand.

_I can take people talking about me,_ she decided. _I just…I don't think I can take it if they start talking about Troy._

She was never going to be accepted by the entire school—at least not positively. Everybody in the entire state had already accepted that she was an Ice Queen, so that perspective was shot to hell long ago. Troy on the other hand, he had an excellent stature. He was the Golden Boy, the person that everybody adored—well, maybe sans Chad, Taylor, Gabriella and Ryan—and he ruled the world without even trying to. Was she going to soil all that for him?

Putting on the final touches of her make-up with a dab of lip-gloss, Sharpay admired her handiwork in the mirror and grinned with satisfaction. Just because she felt like shit didn't mean she didn't look good, even if she did say so herself. She blew a kiss to her reflection and then proceeded to grab her ivory satchel and pasty denim jacket before skipping down to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Mrs. Collingsworth!" she chirped happily, setting her stuff down on the counter.

"Good morning, my dear," the older woman smiled warmly, leaning over to give Sharpay a nice, comforting hug. "Breakfast?" she asked, gesturing towards the modest spread on the center island.

"Yes, please!" Sharpay gurgled, rubbing her palms together as she eyed a plate of her favourite blueberry muffins sitting on the marbled surface. Plopping herself down on a high stool, she picked the pastry up and took a bite just as her housekeeper set a steaming cup of coffee in front of her and sat down on the opposite side. "Thank you," she mumbled through a mouthful of food.

"You're welcome, Shar. How has your weekend been?"

"Great!" she replied after washing her muffin down with some coffee. "I hung out with Dan, Trista and Troy down at Pure Shores."

"That's nice. It's been a while since I last saw that young Dan Patch," Mrs. Collingsworth said, wagging her eyebrows playfully. "How is he doing?"

Sharpay shrugged. "He's still trying to make something out of himself and that truck of his."

"And how's Troy?"

That name, it sent her blushing all over again, and her lips twitched involuntarily into a wide smile. "He's good, actually. We're—"

And then she was interrupted by the sound of a car honking outside.

It startled both women as they jumped in their seats.

"Jesus!" Sharpay whispered, clutching her chest in an attempt to steady her heartbeat.

"Who can that be this early in the morning?" Mrs. Collingsworth wondered out loud. "Did Ryan leave already?"

"Ryan wasn't even home," the blonde teenager said. "I'll just go have a look then."

With that she slid off the chair and strode over to the main entrance, still at odds as to whom it could possibly be at such an early hour. Shoving the huge wooden door wide open, she stepped out onto the front porch and saw a familiar red Saab parked in the driveway just as Troy Bolton emerged from his vehicle.

"Oh, my God!" she squealed, running over to him.

His face instantly lit up at the sight of her, and she giggled at how adorable he looked before flinging herself into his outstretched arms. Encompassing her petite frame in a tight embrace, he lifted her off her feet and swung her around.

"I miss you so much," he declared, putting her gently back on the ground and dropped a quick kiss on her lips, leaving behind a light coat of gloss.

She used her thumb to clean it off. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm picking you up for school," he explained with a goofy smile.

Oh, school.

That dreadful, God-forsaken place.

Sharpay hesitated. She might have temporarily forgotten about that subject, but now that it was out there, she was having second thoughts. Perhaps she could fake an illness and avoid attending class that day; huddle under her blankets and wait for an apocalypse.

But then she gazed over at Troy, so trusting and hopeful, she figured she could suck it up for that day. She was a smart, strong girl. Surely something as petty as going to school and facing hundreds of bitter teenagers couldn't faze her that much. Besides, she had tolerated a lot more before, hadn't she? Compared to everything else, this should be a stroll in the park.

"You ready to go?"

She blinked, realizing that she had spaced out. "Yeah," she told him nervously. "Let me just grab my stuff."

Rushing back into the house, Sharpay made a mad dash into the kitchen to grab her belongings.

"Who was at the door, dear?" her housekeeper inquired in the midst of wiping some dishes dry.

Sharpay managed to pause long enough to answer, "Troy", before taking off again, stopping just one final time in front of the mirror by the entryway to check on her appearance.

"Shit!" she gasped in horror, immediately scrambling to straighten the stray strands of hair. All that running around had caused some damage, but nothing that couldn't be salvaged if she could simply get hold of a hairbrush. However, a glimpse at the clock on the wall told her otherwise, and she really didn't want to keep Troy waiting.

_I guess this will have to do_, she thought anxiously, smoothing out the imaginary wrinkles on her dress.

Troy was leaning against the hood of his car by the time she returned, patiently waiting for her as he fiddled with his cellphone. Upon hearing her footsteps, he lifted his head and held up the device, snapping a picture of her while she tittered down the stairs.

"You did _not_ just do that, Troy Bolton!" she cried out.

"I think I just did," he smirked, presenting the image to her.

"It's awful," she complained. "My hair's all over the place, and I think I wrinkled my dress from all that exercise and—"

"You look gorgeous," he told her sincerely, cradling her porcelain face in his hands.

"But I couldn't think of anything nice to wear today," she mumbled as she tried to avoid his mesmerizing ocean blue eyes, afraid that he would see through her insecurities and notice what a wreck she was.

"It's perfect," he insisted, his voice as smooth as butter.

"But my hair is ruined—"

He cut her off then, pressing his soft lips against hers in a kiss that melted any remaining doubts in her mind. Everything he wanted to convey to her, it was all said in one single breath, and she was so thankful he was there with her, letting her know that she had nothing to worry about.

"Better?" he asked when they reluctantly pulled away.

"Yeah," she murmured. "Much better."

* * *

She wanted to murder the butterflies that were fluttering in her stomach. It was making her nauseas, and she hated it. In her entire performing career on stage, never had she allowed such nerves to get the better of her like this, and as they got nearer to East High, those darn creatures started multiplying by the dozens.

The radio station was playing an oldie, a song she knew pretty well, in fact, but at that moment, she just couldn't remember the lyrics. To her left, Troy had his gaze focused on the road, his posture casual and relaxed as he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the song. He must've sensed her staring because he turned to look at her.

"Hey, you okay?"

Sharpay jumped a little when she felt his hand on her knee, not realizing how tensed she really was. She inhaled, long and deep, and knew it was something she ought to tell him. "You didn't have to, Troy."

His brows furrowed slightly. "I didn't have to do what?"

"Pick me up."

He extracted his hand and placed it back on the wheel. "What, can't a boyfriend drive his girlfriend to school?"

"No, no, it's not that," she blurted out, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. "It's nothing like that, actually. I'm—I like that you're picking me up—"

"What's bothering you, Shar?"

She sighed in defeat. "Everybody's going to start talking about us."

"And that bothers you?"

"Well, yes, and no," she tried to say, but the words kept jumbling themselves up. "It's just, it's not the way a relationship is supposed to be, Troy. It's nice, it's something good. I don't want it to be something people make fun of or toy around with."

He pondered over it for a while. "You care about what people think of us?"

"Whether we like it or not, it's going to play a big part here—"

"It will only go bad if we let this affect us." He stopped at a red light and then held her hands in his bigger, warmer ones. "Sharpay, when all of this started, I knew what I was getting into. I knew that people aren't going to be able to accept us right away, but that's not going to stop me."

"Yeah, but what if—"

"You have absolutely nothing to worry about, alright? I don't care what people say. They don't mean anything to me anyway," he said, the determination strong in his tone. "Nothing they do matters to me. All that I care about and matters most is you."

Sharpay tried to resist—though she had no idea why—but it was all in vain as she succumbed to his charming ways. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was glad that he was so sure of himself—of them—and somehow or another, she figured out that he was going to be her rock—that element in their relationship that was going to keep them consistent amongst the sea of impending challenges—and couldn't help but wonder how she got so lucky.

"I love you," she professed, firm yet affectionately. "So much. I just don't want people to sully the true meaning of what we have together."

"Hey, if Romeo and Juliet could do it—"

"They died," she pointed out.

"Okay, so that's not the best example," he conceded, awkwardly rubbing the nape of his neck. "But we can do this, Shar, you and me, against the world."

She chuckled. "What?"

"People can talk all they want about us, as long as they know that you belong to me."

The traffic light changed to green, so Troy pulled away to put the car back into gear. They were about a couple of blocks away from the school now, and although he'd put some of her fears to rest, Sharpay was still unsure of what to expect. Would her defensive side start kicking in again and she'd transform back to the Ice Queen everybody hated? She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even realize he had parked his car in an empty lot until he cleared his throat.

"We're here."

Sharpay glanced out of the window, seeing other students heading towards the building. It felt like she was going into battleground—a feeling that shouldn't be new to her, except that all of a sudden it was.

He reached for the handle of his door, but she was quick to stop him. "Wait," she said urgently. "Before we go in, I just want to apologize to you."

Troy tilted his head. "For what?"

"For anything that's about to happen in there." Swallowing hard, she continued, "Look, I really want to be a good person, Troy, but sometimes I can't help it, and I get defensive, and I turn into that ugly monster again. I don't want to be the school bitch forever, so if you have to drag me away by my hair like a Neanderthal the moment I start snapping at people, then by all means, please do so—"

He burst out laughing. "On the contrary, Shar, I'm going to let you give it to them. That should be fun to watch."

Squealing, she whacked his bicep. "Troy!"

"Look, all I'm saying, is that I just want you to be yourself," he told her. "If you need to fuck anybody up, just do it. I'll be there for you."

"I don't want to do that."

He shrugged. "Then don't. Be the bigger person and let it go."

"You're right," she agreed with a nod. "We can do this."

"You ready?" He flashed her one of his winning smiles.

"Let's go now before I change my mind and hijack your car."

Rolling his eyes, Troy got out of the vehicle and jogged over to her side before opening the door, holding a hand out for her to take. She bit her lower lip, slid her palms into his and got out of the car, straightening her appearance as much as possible. Those butterflies were morphing into a stampede of horses now.

"Are you okay?"

She gave him a tight smile. "Not really."

"Relax," he said, interlacing their fingers together. "I've got you."

Taking one more deep breath for a final burst of courage, she squared her shoulders and held her head up, and then allowed him to lead them into the building. The weird looks and not-so-subtle hushed gossips had started even before they had walked through the main entrance, and as they made their way down the corridor hand-in-hand, publicly announcing to the entire student body of the new development, the murmurs rang high like a swarm of bees circling them with each step they took. Still, she tried with every fiber of her being to hold it together and keep the aloof façade. If there were one thing she had perfected in her life, it would be the act of indifference, no matter how much she was slowly crumbling on the inside.

Sharpay stole a quick glimpse over to Troy as he regarded the situation with outmost nonchalance. His warm hand was still firmly clasped in hers, and as though he was reading her mind, gave her a gentle, assuring squeeze.

It was amazing how the roles have changed. She used to be the detached and impartial one, discarding people's opinions about her without much concern, but there she was, fretting about the little things that hadn't jostled her before. And then there was Troy, who was always so confident and sure of himself, he didn't need anybody's approval for anything, standing by her side and fighting with her through his mess.

A couple of Troy's teammates approached them with various levels of baffled expressions on their faces. They stopped in front of their captain and started exchanging pleasantries, all the while silently wondering if she was to be addressed as well, but neither daring to ask the lingering million-dollar question out loud. Sharpay wasn't even aware that she had been holding her breath, for whatever the purpose was.

"I'll see you later, Troy," Zeke Baylor said, patting his leader on the back. "Have a nice day, Sharpay," he added as an afterthought and gave her a little wave before scrambling off to join his fellow players.

"What the fuck just happened?" she wondered out loud to no one in particular.

Troy simply just snickered in return and continued down the hallway towards her signature hot pink locker as she followed beside him, dazed and still slightly stunned. Somewhere along the way, people started getting bolder, and the initial stifled comments became loud snide remarks.

"Looks like the ho's out of the bag."

She didn't know who exactly said that, but it hurt the same either way. Judging by the way Troy stilled for a split second, she reckoned he must've heard it too. Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of crimson, utterly humiliated, and she practically sprinted over to her locker. He came up behind her a few seconds later.

"Did you hear what they're saying about us?" she muttered, turning to face him. "Doesn't that bother you at all?"

"It bothers me only when they're talking shit about you," he admitted.

"They're not going to stop, Troy."

"Neither am I," he asserted, taking a step closer to her. His intense blue eyes bore into her hazel ones. "I'm not going to let these people dictate what I've taken so long to achieve. I'm not letting you go."

"Troy—"

"I love you. Nothing's going to change that."

"But—"

"It'll all die down eventually. These people just need something to talk about, and they're just going to continue coming up with ridiculous assumptions until someone else does something stupid or insane, and then they're going to forget about this," he calmly reasoned out. "Frankly, I'm surprised they're all not talking about Gabriella and her puke fest."

There was no arguing with that because it was totally true.

"You're right," she reluctantly admitted, shutting her locker.

The first warning bell rang just then, signaling the start of first period, and Sharpay had to suppress a groan. She had Current Affairs while he had General Math, which meant that they had to go their separate ways. It also meant that she was now left to fend for herself.

"I guess I'll see you for lunch, then?"

Shrugging, she replied, "guess so."

Troy smiled warmly down at her, and then leaned in to plant a deep kiss on her lips, in front of the entire school. There were a few gasps and some exaggerated reactions, all of which were blocked out the moment he traced his tongue sensually along the outer contours of her bottom lip, sending her nerve endings on overdrive. Aware of how fast their little episode was escalating, she unwillingly pried herself away from his delicious kisses.

Certain things were private, and she refused to share them with the rest of the world.

* * *

**Now, don't just walk away  
****Pretending everything's ok**

Fists clenched tightly to his sides, his nostrils flared at the sight. Hidden behind a pillar, Ryan had witnessed the intimate exchange between the two alleged lovers. His anger and disgust still brewed and bubbled from the deepest depths of his soul, the scene from the day before still fresh on his mind. It haunted him into the wee hours of the night, tossing and turning in Kelsi's bed, and leaving him incredibly frustrated that morning.

**And you don't care about me  
****And I know there's just no use  
****When all your lies become your truths and I don't care**

He had always more than expressed his outmost dislike towards Troy Bolton, especially with all the troubles he had caused in the past. As unintentional as his actions might have been, it had hurt Sharpay nonetheless, and the brother—the one whom she had now cast aside—had been there to sweep the pieces up even though he didn't know how to fix them. It infuriated him how she was so willing to sell herself short on a low-lying bastard who hadn't even batted an eyelash before breaking it off with his ex-girlfriend.

_What kind of a fucking ass-hole does that?_ He asked scornfully, and then caught himself for a fleeting moment. _Apparently when your other half turns out to be a scheming little slut._

Damn, he was being a bitter fucker that day.

Pushing the thoughts of Gabriella Montez out of his head, Ryan reminded himself that he had other more important things at hand to attend to.

**Could you look me in the eye  
****And tell me that you're happy now, ohhh, ohhh  
****Would you tell it to my face or have I been erased,  
****Are you happy now?  
****Are you happy now?**

Troy and Sharpay was making their relationship publicly known to the entire school, which could only mean that the captain was making a statement of commitment. Whether or not it was to prove to the blonde that he was serious about her, Ryan couldn't give a damn because he knew that a guy like Troy wouldn't go into battle without a full-proof plan. Any emotional ties to his sister was a socially suicidal move, and it seemed a little too surreal that a person of status would forgo his title just to be with the Ice Queen of East High. It just didn't work like that. There had to be more to it than meets the eye.

_Why would the Golden Boy risk it all if it wouldn't benefit him?_

He needed to find Gabriella now. Surely she hadn't missed that puppet show.

Discreet speed-walking was now his forte as he made his way towards the Latina's locker at the end of the hallway, only to find that she wasn't there. Spitting out rich profanities, he rushed out into the courtyard where she would sometimes hang out to diligently read some award-winning novel, but she was still missing. With about a minute to spare before the final first bell went off, he hurried towards the parking lots, thinking that perhaps she was just coming in. He didn't know what kind of car she drove, or if her parents actually dropped her off. Staring out at the bustling throngs of students scurrying into the building, he tried to identify her jet-black hair and outlandish outfit amongst the sea of bodies.

_Where the fucking hell is this wench?_

Above the cacophony of people, the school bell rang.

"Damnit!"

Very much pissed and dissatisfied, Ryan stormed into his first period.

General Math.

He entered the classroom and was instantly rudely awakened by the presence of Mr. Heartthrob himself, sitting right smack in the middle of the premise. The peeved off sibling scoffed and refrained himself from rolling his eyes.

**You took all there was to take,  
****And left me with an empty plate**

_Are you fucking kidding me?_

Troy was pulling his stationary out from his backpack but Ryan figured the dude was deliberately ignoring him. That wouldn't do it. The fire was still raging on the inside, and Ryan was desperate for some physical damage, no matter how cheap the shot seemed. Fixing a most threatening frown and the most deadly of glares, he strode down the isle and gave Troy's desk a hard kick.

"Ow, shit!" he howled in pain as the metal object made contact with the side of his head.

**And you don't care about it, yeah.  
****And I am givin' up this game  
****I'm leaving you with all the blame cause I don't care**

Grinning in satisfaction, Ryan sauntered over to his seat just as the teacher walked into the room. Not once during the entire class did Troy glance back at him, and he took it as a tiny victory—that the courageous hero wasn't so chivalrous after all—and spent the period shooting daggers at the back of the fallen knight's skull. When the lesson was over, Troy was swift to escape the room and disappear into the human traffic in the corridor.

Ryan made another attempt at locating Gabriella but all he could find was that good friend of hers, Taylor McKessie arguing at a corner with her douche of a boyfriend. She wasn't going to be much help, and he could already predict the long list of questions from her that he didn't want to answer. He had half the wit to barge into the girl's toilets to see if she was actually hiding—or humping some other basketball player's dick—in there. Being illusive wasn't one of Gabriella's best skills. If anything, she sucked at it—pun intended.

Creative Writing was his next class, and still freshly riled up from the situation with his sister and her boy toy—on top of the whole Gabriella fiasco, which was becoming such a pain since he wasn't her personal babysitter—Ryan charged into the room, flopping down on his chair next to a beaming Kelsi Nielsen.

"Hey."

He turned to face her without returning her smile. "Hey."

"You okay? You've been so worked up and distracted since yesterday, you left your phone on the kitchen table this morning," she told him, sliding the device onto his table. "And then you left without saying goodbye."

Ryan didn't even bother thanking her for that as he snatched it up and began composing a text to Gabriella. This whole thing had brought him into such frenzy; it hadn't even occurred to him that he could have used the privileges of technology. He would have gone the day without his cell phone and he wouldn't even realize it.

"Ryan?"

"What, Kels?" he snapped.

"God, quit being such a bitch, Ryan," she muttered sourly back at him.

_Whatever,_ he thought. _I'll deal with her later. She'll be fine after a good fuck in the eraser room._

Underneath that whole quiet girl persona, Kelsi was actually one heck of a sexual prowess, and he was already picturing all that he wanted to do with her.

Ryan's fantasies were robbed, however, when the teacher assigned the class a specific task. Ms. Panabaker wanted all of them to write a short paragraph describing a certain type of weather of their choice. Rules were: no repetition of adjectives, elimination of some general words and a quota of at least one hundred words, to be handed in before the period ended.

**Could you look me in the eye?  
****And tell me that you're happy now, oohh oohhh**

He wrote about the blustering cold blizzard from the top of a cliff with crashing waves and sharp rocks beneath him.

It sufficed his mood perfectly, though it wasn't enough.

He needed something more.

**Would you tell it to my face or have I been erased,  
****Are you happy now? Ohhh, ohhhh  
****Are you happy now?  
****Are you happy now? yeah, yeah, yeah.**

Third period Calculus was a class he shared with his sister. Common sense entailed that he shouldn't have signed up for two math classes before he could even consume his lunch, but Sharpay had begged him on that one and he couldn't tell her no. Grumbling under his breath, Ryan trudged over to the classroom, dreading this next hour or so.

He arrived first and parked himself in his usual table by the window. With all those numbers swarming around, he reckoned a nice view of the football field would be a pleasant change. The rest of the students were pouring in now, but she somehow managed to uphold her ever-present grand entrance. He hadn't seen that blue dress in a while since she usually preferred something either hot pink or sequined.

**Do you really have everything you want?  
****You can't ever give somethin' you ain't got  
****You can't run away from yourself**

Sharpay stopped short when her hazel eyes landed on his hardened features, and she immediately averted her gaze to sweep over the remaining empty seats that were available.

**Could you look me in the eye?  
****And tell me that you're happy now, yeah, yeah  
****Come on, tell it to my face or have I been replaced,  
****Are you happy now? Ohhh, ohhhh  
****Are you happy now?**

_Good, she ought to be ashamed of herself._

Frowning, he watched as she chose the one at the furthest corner of the room. She held her chin defiantly up in the air, determined not to show him how uncomfortable she really felt with him scrutinizing her every move. Nevertheless, he saw right through her act, like everything else that she tried so hard to conceal.

He only tore his gaze away when the teacher started going through the homework questions on the board. It didn't take long for his mind to wander off again, and unwillingly it drifted back to that unfortunate scene in the kitchen. That guilty look on Sharpay's face, playing about in his head was enough to provoke him all over again, and for the umpteenth time he sought to understand why she kept throwing herself into these situations. She wasn't stupid or naïve, but it was a little cynical to think that she was addicted to hurt and pain.

And all for Troy Bolton.

His name, it tasted like bile in Ryan's throat as he presumed all that had happened between them, no matter how sick it was to imagine his sister like that. Regardless, he was a dude, and he was sexually active with a fellow schoolmate, which made it all the more difficult since he obviously knew the functions of a teenager's imbalanced hormones. Just the mere thought of the jock's slimy hands on his twin counterpart grossed him out enough to barf up a storm bigger than Gabriella's viral video. Shaking the disturbing images out of his head, Ryan tried to focus on the equations in front of him, managing to concentrate for that split second before he started fuming in his chair. Subconsciously, he tightened his grip on the pen, his knuckles turning white as he practically snapped it in half.

**Would you look me in the eye?  
****Could you look me in the eye?  
****I've had all that I can take**

The only thing saving his sanity was the sound of the lunch bell. He whipped his head around in search of Sharpay, but she had managed to escape his watch before he could catch her. Still seething in contempt, he headed out towards the cafeteria in hopes of cornering her there. He knew that she wouldn't want to cause a scene again, and he was going to do everything he could to force her to listen to him.

All of a sudden, he was tugged by the back of his shirt collar and pulled into an empty classroom before he could even register what was going on. After regaining his equilibrium, Ryan adjusted his clothes. Hearing the door slam shut, he was met with Gabriella's beetroot face as she furiously stomped over to the teacher's desk and brought her fist down hard on the wooden surface.

"Gabriella?"

"Can you believe it?" she shrieked.

Assuming that she was referring to the most recent events regarding their mutual enemies, he nodded solemnly. "It's bad, Gabs."

She started pacing back and forth, her chest heaving with rage. "How did this happen?"

"I didn't think it'll be this serious," he shrugged.

"Are you kidding me?" she cried out, making wild gestures with her hands. "Have you seen it?"

"I'm actually trying to forget it."

"It's disgusting!"

"We need to do something, Gabriella," he said, crossing his arms. "This is getting out of hand."

"Hey, do you think I don't know that?" she snapped, her molten brown eyes blazing and sharp. "I've been trying all morning to take it down."

"Take what down?" He paused, confused. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"I was talking about that damn video, you dimwit. What are _you_ talking about?"

"What video?" he asked, scrunching his face. "I was talking about Troy and Sharpay."

Scowling, she flatly replied, "that video of me puking all over Taylor's shoes."

Realization dawned upon his features. "Oh, that video."

"You knew about it?" she screeched, jabbing a finger accusingly at him. "And you didn't tell me?"

Again, he shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't think it was important."

"You didn't think—I—what—you—" she sputtered out. "I'm beyond humiliated here, Ryan! I just skipped half of the day hiding in the comforts of my bedroom. How could you have not mentioned it to me yesterday?"

"Like I said," he began in a steady tone, enunciating his words perfectly like he was talking to a kid in the midst of a hissy fit. "I didn't think it was important."

"It was your sister, wasn't it?"

"Actually, it was a friend of hers."

With that, she scoffed. "How am I supposed to show my face in school now?"

"You made it fine here," he pointed out.

"While everybody else was still in class," she spoke through gritted teeth.

"Look, it's not a big deal, okay," he assured her. "Nobody's actually talking about it, and I don't think people care. Besides, they've got a bigger topic to talk about at the moment."

Gabriella narrowed her heavily-lined cat-like eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Troypay is official."

"What the _fuck_ is Troypay?"

Ryan rolled his eyeballs. "Troy and Sharpay. It's a stupid nickname that people are now using to refer to them as a couple."

"You've _got_ to be kidding me," she deadpanned. "Seriously?"

He held up his hand. "I agree, it's shit, but seems like everyone's rolling with it."

Gabriella threw her head back and stared at the ceiling, groaning. "God, this is so screwed."

"Do you know what this means?"

"Of course, I do," she spat out, looking like she was on the verge of a killing spree, with the deadly vibes she was projecting. That girl was as terrifying as a character out of a horror movie. "That bitch has him all wrapped around her finger."

"Watch it."

"You know what?" she hissed. "It's time to put our plan into action."

**I'm not about to break  
****Cause I'm happy now, ohhh, ohhh  
****Are you happy now?**

* * *

She was neither picking up her phone nor returning his text messages, and after scouring through potential places in the entire building, he was fast running out of ideas. With a bag of packed lunch in one hand and his girlfriend nowhere near the cafeteria, he roamed down the almost-empty corridors and searched through every room he came across. He dialed her number again in hopes that she would finally answer it, but all he got was the voicemail.

He was starting to get worried, and decided to pick up his pace.

_What if something's wrong with her?_ he wondered. _What if she's passed out somewhere in school and nobody knows?_

His worry turned to panic, and to everybody else, he probably appeared manic and crazed.

And then he spied Kelsi, heading towards his direction, reading a stack of papers cradled in the crook of her arm as she bit her lip, deep in thought, and he reckoned perhaps the brunette knew where her superior was. Engrossed in whatever she was doing, Kelsi didn't even notice him making a beeline for her until he was directly in her path. She jumped a little, startled and narrowly dropping all her stuff.

"Oh, jeez," she gasped. Her glasses had slipped down the bridge of her nose and she quickly pushed it back up, flustered. When she realized his harmless presence, her shoulders relaxed a little. "Hey, Troy," she greeted with a friendly smile. "What's up?"

"Hey, Kels," he said, dragging her name out, and then cleared his throat. "Do you happen to know where Sharpay is right now?"

Kelsi tilted her head. "Sharpay?"

"Yeah," he nodded and waved his phone in the air. "She didn't answer any of my calls, and I've searched everywhere for her."

"Oh, she's in the music room," she informed him, jerking her thumb over her shoulder.

"Music room?"

"I was just with her a moment ago," she explained kindly. "She's adjusting some stuff on the demo songs for the auditions tomorrow."

"Is she still in there?" he asked.

"I'm pretty sure she is."

Troy grinned and reached out to gently squeeze her arm. "Alright, thanks Kels," he burbled happily before taking off down the hallway again.

"Troy!"

He halted in his tracks and spun around.

"Yeah?"

Timidly shuffling her feet against the linoleum floor, Kelsi tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Are you auditioning tomorrow?"

The corner of his lips twitched upwards as he bounced on the balls of his feet. "Yeah, I am."

"Well, break a leg," she conveyed with a simple wave of her fingers.

"Thanks."

Now that he knew where his girlfriend was, Troy couldn't wait to see her angelic face again and hold her tightly in his arms. The hours apart felt like an eternity when he wasn't with her, and another second seemed painfully long. Tucking his phone back into the pocket of his pants, he jogged down towards the end of the corridor, his sneakers squeaking loudly beneath him as he approached the room. He pulled the door open and poked his head into the room, his blue eyes roaming around till they landed on the sole figure sitting on a bench by the piano.

Sharpay had her back to him, her head cast downwards and a pair of headphones over her ears, and he reveled at how she continually managed to leave him speechless. Her strawberry blonde curls tumbled down the line of her spine like threads of gold, spun to perfection with not a strand out of place, and he was left frozen on the spot, unable to tear his gaze away from her flawless form. Everything about her captivated him, every minor detail reeling him in, and like a leaf in a storm he allowed himself to be swept away. It never ceased to amaze him how just being in close proximity with her always managed to blow him away, and the familiar overwhelming waves of emotions came crashing back.

He came up behind her, placed the packed lunch on the floor, and then languidly slid his arms around her slim waist.

"Hey, gorgeous."

She jolted at his unsuspecting touch, but melted into him as soon as he tightened his hold on her. Her mouth curled up into a genuine grin as she craned her neck around to look at him, lifting her headphones off and setting it on the piano.

"Hey, handsome," she purred, planting a chaste peck on his awaiting lips. "What are you doing here?"

He chuckled, delicately running a finger down the side of her smooth cheek. "You promised me lunch, remember?" he murmured. "I've been searching all over for you. Why weren't you in the cafeteria?"

"I wasn't hungry," she said, angling her body around so that he was standing between her legs.

"I called you a couple of times," he informed her, lowering himself to his knees to level his eyes with hers. "And I texted you too."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Troy. I guess I was a little preoccupied," she sincerely apologized.

"What are you doing here all alone?"

With a flourish of her hands, she gestured towards the music sheets atop the piano. "I just need to do some minor tweaks to a few songs. I figured I should get them done while I still have the time, you know, before things start to get crazy tomorrow with the auditions. I was afraid I might forget."

He quirked an eyebrow and smirked playfully at her. "And you can't do that after school and spend some alone time with me now?"

She cupped his face in her dainty palms. "You know that's not it."

Pausing for a second, he studied her intently, and slowly started noticing the slight discomfort and nervousness in her demeanor. Her hazel eyes, wide and clear, had a shadow of vulnerability ghosting about in the hidden expanse of her irises as she traced her hands down the length of his arm to interlock with his fingers. Something was clearly bothering her, and as he filtered out possibilities in his head, he knew without a doubt where her insecurities sat.

"So you're not trying to hide from anyone?"

The surprised expression that crossed her stunning features—even for a splitting moment—was enough to prove his suspicions, and she must've realized that he was on to her.

"Okay, you caught me," she muttered guiltily.

"Why are you hiding?" he softly inquired, shifting the wisps of hair that had fallen over her face. "Are you ashamed to be seen with me?"

"God, no!" she shook her head. "It's far from it, Troy. I love being with you, and I want the whole world to know about us, and I want everybody to accept our relationship, but that's not going to happen any time soon, isn't it?"

"Nobody has to accept us—"

"I can take that people hate me," she choked out, her strength slowly slipping away, and it ached him to see her crumble like that. "But I don't want people hating you because of me."

"That's out of the equation, Shar. We can't control what people think or say, but I've told you this before, haven't I?" he reiterated, trying to reinforce his beliefs in her. "I don't give a fucking crap about that. What matters right now, for me, is you, and I don't want you to give up on us and let them win. I can't do this alone. We're in this together."

"But you're the Golden Boy of East High!"

"None of that matters if it means that you're not by my side," he told her firmly. "I don't care for titles, or any of this popularity shit. They can hate me all they want for loving you, but I'm not backing out of this, okay? So no more hiding. I want to be able to show you off."

"Troy—"

"I want this, Sharpay. I want this so much."

She took a moment to run his words through her head, and he watched the thoughts process through her face, waiting patiently for her to decide. He wasn't worried at all because he knew that in the midst of this chaos, the only thing she truly needed was his reassurance.

And then she took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, no more hiding but—"

Not bothering to let her finish, he swooped down and captured her soft, succulent lips in a kiss so desperate and passionate, he wanted nothing more than to drown in her sweet essence. Disentangling their fingers, he trailed his hands up her thighs, pushing up the fabric of her dress as he went, exposing more of her milky flesh for him to caress and worship. He reached higher and higher into the peaks of his desires, feeling her warmth transcend into the depths of his soul, and re-awakening senses that had fallen numb whenever she was away for far too long. She whimpered into his mouth, creating a perfect opportunity for him to slip his tongue through and explore the recesses within. Her perfectly-manicured nails scraped up the nape of his neck and grappled at his soft, mahogany-copper hair, sending a delicious tingle down to his stirring core. Cupping the soft roundness of her buttocks, he tugged her closer, their heaving chests pressed tightly together. The onslaught of sensations that washed over, fueled by a myriad of teenage hormones, ignited a burning need like never before.

Needing better leverage, Troy detached his lips from hers and got to his feet. He effortlessly lifted her off the bench and hoisted her up onto the piano, accurately setting her down where it was vacant of music sheets. A muffled cry escaped her throat as he shoved aside the material of her jacket and sunk his teeth into her shoulder, her slim legs wrapped instinctively around his tapered waist. There were light dents where he had bitten her and he nursed the sting with a tender kiss before delving back up to seize upon her lips.

The school bell rang just then, interrupting all that was wonderful and both students groaned in protest.

_Fuck!_

"Saved by the bell," she grumbled sarcastically.

He refused to let go and his only response was a snort. She felt so good in his arms, her yielding body fitting ever so wholly with his; he wasn't ready to give her up just yet.

"Troy?" she prodded, poking his biceps.

"No."

"No?"

"You're mine," he mumbled into the crook of her neck.

"But we have classes to get to," she reasoned out in amusement, affectionately running her fingers through his disheveled hair. "And you're already serving detention."

That was all the persuasion he needed as he reluctantly took a step back from her, and watched as she hopped off the piano and fixed her appearance. He hadn't done much damage though, maybe a few wrinkles on her dress and that suspicious mark on her shoulder, but even in her flushed state, Sharpay was flawless. She began gathering all her items up, and Troy suddenly remembered the bag of packed lunch that had remained untouched on the floor.

"I forgot about this," he snickered, picking it up.

"What's that?"

"Lunch. Thought that we could share it, but…" he trailed off.

She giggled. "We got busy."

Their most recent escapade replayed itself in his head and he felt the strain in his pants all over again. Blushing a deep shade of red, he swiftly positioned his hands in front of him, using the paper bag as a shield to hide the obvious bulge.

"We should probably get to class," Sharpay said, heading for the door. "You coming?"

"I just…need a moment."

* * *

Walking into Spanish class, the first person her line of vision landed on was Gabriella Montez. In the front row, right beside her was Taylor McKessie, and the two girls seemed to be engaged in a heated debate of some sort, voices hushed and postures tensed. Taking advantage of the fact that neither one of them had noticed her, Sharpay quickly slid into her usual spot at the far end of the classroom, directly below the huge, circular clock.

Settling into her seat, she placed her hot-pink ring binder on the desk and flipped open to a fresh page in her writing pad, tapping her sequin-studded pen against the paper as she waited for the teacher to arrive. Sitting at the back had its privileges. It allowed for her to notice every single thing that went on in the room—like how half the guys kept sketching offensive images and distributing them amongst the class, or how only Miss Smarty Pants One and Miss Smarty Pants Two were the only people who actually listened, or the disgusting way Martha Cox kept poking her ears with her pen.

Just the other day, she had caught two girls, who had been constantly bitching about her, writing love notes to each other and passing them back and forth when they thought nobody was watching, until they made a crucial mistake of dropping them right under her nose. She had returned it to them, though, not before she could snap a picture. Within the week, their affair had made its round. Her revenge was done.

She hadn't liked it, and it still sickened her that she had to resort to such dirty games, but like everything else in her life, she only did that to protect herself.

A group of guys entered, a trio of douchebags, and one of them happened to look at Gabriella. Sharpay watched as he nudged his friends and pointed at the Latina before they simultaneously launched into a chorus of fake gagging, making exaggerated puking motions while the rest of the students howled in laughter.

"Fuck off," she heard Gabriella snap at them just as the teacher came into the classroom.

"What's going on here, boys?" Mrs. Montgomery demanded.

"Nothing, Mrs. Montgomery," they sing-songed in sync.

"Please take your seats, then."

Snickering, the three lunkheads slithered into their respective desks, but not before making one final jab at humiliating Gabriella. Sharpay shifted her eyes over to the Hispanic brainiac and felt a twinge of guilt run through her heart.

The class itself was uneventful, more so since the blonde never could grasp foreign languages. For the past ten minutes, she had been doodling absentmindedly on her notepad as the droning voice of her teacher played in the background like static noise. Mentally, she was somewhere else, in an island far away, and Troy was wearing a loincloth, all sweaty from a workout as he jogged down the sandy beach. The breeze was blowing, the sun was up, the sky was cloudless, and everything was perfect.

Until she was rudely interrupted by a folded paper plane stabbing against her forehead. It fell onto the surface of her desk unceremoniously, the pointy edge now slightly distorted from the impact, and she darted her hazel eyes around for an indication on whom the culprit was. Hesitantly, she picked the paper origami up and flattened it out to read the bold writing across the blank canvas.

_I thought we had an understanding.  
__Stay away from Troy or else…_

Well, it would've been more intimidating if it wasn't written in a curly script with an orange sharpie. It also didn't take much to figure out that Gabriella was behind that message. Persistent and obnoxious, she was definitely a piece of work.

She glanced up and was met with Gabriella's cold and piercing glare. Sharpay smirked back at her in return. It was going to take a lot more than a half-hearted threat and a failed attempt at intimidation to faze her. Compare to everything else, Gabriella was an ant amongst a hive of bees. With her glittery pink pen, she wrote:

_Or else what?  
__You'll puke on my shoes?_

Game on.

* * *

**A/N:** So, Sharpay and Troy's first day as an official couple. It wasn't so bad, now, was it? Apart from all of her insecurities, I think they handled it pretty well, don't you?

**Lanae96:** Hi there! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing my story! I'm glad that you like it so far, and just as excited as I am about Troy and Sharpay's relationship! I love Dan, I really do, and it breaks my heart to write him in such a broken state, but something's got to give, right? Let me know what you think of this chapter!

**62toasters62:** I know, right. When I first realized it (because I've written the whole storyline out, it's now just a matter of properly writing the actual story), I wanted to cry because I didn't think I could do it, but you guys (the reviewers) are my constant motivation, and I would like to thank you again for taking time to read and review! Well, Sharpay's situation will only be uncovered later on, don't worry. Dan, goodness, when I brought Dan Patch on board this story, it was only because I adored him with Savannah in Hellcats. I never really intended to love his character so much, it now breaks my heart since I have to imagine two guys for Sharpay. But it's an eventual Troypay story, so I guess you'll have to wait and see how this triangle plays out :D Hope you liked this chapter!

**Lachicarebelde22:** Thank you for reading and reviewing! Hehe…Dan and Trista? We'll see…

**Nikita jain:** Thank you so, so very much for the really awesome quotes! Some have inspired me, and with your permission (since it's yours even though you said I could have it), I would like to add them to my future chapters. I would be honored to use your material! Hope you've had a wonderful holiday!

**Heavenxxbaby:** Firstly, I'd like to officially welcome you to this chaos known as my Troypay story! Thank you so much for taking so much time and patience to read the entire 32 chapters in one day! I'm very flattered! I'm glad you like the story, and thank you for the lovely comments! I love Dan, I really do, and I love Troy and Sharpay together, it's doing funny things with my head! Sharpay's secret won't be revealed till later on in the future chapters, but hopefully you'll stick around long enough to find out :D I like how you described Gabriella as "Gabrisluta", that's just epic! She and Ryan are planning something, and it'll happen soon enough. Let me know what you feel about this update, yeah? Would love to hear more from you!

**Anna:** Hello there! Thank you for the reviews and well wishes! Hope you had a great holiday :D My heart's breaking for Dan Patch. He's such a genuinely nice guy. I love Trista's bitchy attitude too. She can be a pain sometimes, but she's the voice in the group. She speaks up when other people don't. Truthfully, I'm in circles right now as well between the two boys. I love them equally, but sometimes you have to let one go, right? Glad you liked the previous chapter! Can't wait to hear about this update from you!

**TheDude47:** Why, thank you so much for the wonderful comments! I'm so glad you liked it! I try to give Dan Patch the best, even though he might not get exactly what he wanted. Well, the secret…that one would have to wait for a while. I've thought up a perfect moment for it, but I can safely say that it wouldn't happen so soon. Well, I'm just glad that after 4 years, I have readers who are interested, and that Troypay fans are still going strong! Thank you for the well wishes! Hope you had an amazing holiday!

**xGuiltyxPleasure:** Don't need to apologise for anything. After those awesome updates on your stories, you can take as long as you want with my review :D LOL! I'm sometimes guilty for reading and not reviewing, or I'd think I'd have reviewed when truth is I hadn't. I don't blame you for not liking Trista. She's brash and blunt and can be a pest at times, but she's kind of crucial for the dynamics, don't you think? She speaks things that other people are afraid to say, and she just goes with her gut instincts. I agree on how harsh she was towards Troy, but it was probably how she copes with the situation. I think it compliments Dan very well since he's so calm and he thinks things through before saying anything. Well, I'm glad you liked the Troy/Sharpay interactions! There's more in this chapter ;P I think this chapter showcases how their relationship has changed both of them in a lot of ways. Anyway, hope you've enjoyed this chapter!

Song used — "A Whole New World" by Aladdin OST and "Are you Happy Now?" by Michelle Branch


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: **Well, this took long enough. First of all, I'm terribly sorry for neglecting on this story. I started up some other stuff, and I got caught up, and gosh, that's not even a good enough excuse. If you'll accept my sincere apology, I would really like to make it up to my readers by posting this chapter.

Enjoy!

xXx  
CeruleanBlues

* * *

**The Way You Look At Me**

**Chapter 34**

Math wasn't her best subject, and it most definitely wasn't her most favourite one either. There were simply too many equations to remember that didn't make any semblance of sense no matter how hard she tried to grasp them. Yet, she continued to diligently work on the trigonometry problems that were written on the board instead of staring off into space like the other half of the students in the classroom.

Perhaps it was the sure way of knowing that there was always an answer to the questions, or the constant way to which those answers were obtained, but a tiny part of her actually liked the rules of math. If only life worked that way, it'll make everything a lot easier.

"I still can't believe Troy would break up with Gabriella to be with _her_?"

Her ears perked up at the mention of her boyfriend's name. Someone was whispering behind her, obviously not trying to be discreet at all.

"I know!" Another voice joined in. "She's always been such a _bitch_. I wonder what he actually sees in her."

It wasn't anything she hadn't heard before, but that didn't mean it didn't sting any less. If anything, it hurt even more. True, she hadn't been the most accommodating person in East High, and she had done things that she wasn't proud of, but it still bothered her immensely that people didn't think she was good enough for their King.

"Is there a problem, girls?" The substitute teacher, Mr. Fitz, called out from the front of the room.

"No, sir," they chorused in sickly sweet voices before collapsing in a round of giggles.

Sharpay rolled her eyes and was thankful when the school bell rang to drown them out, signaling the end of school for the day. Snapping her notepad shut, she quickly packed her stationery and walked out of the classroom towards her hot pink locker. The corridor was buzzing with students, but for once she didn't want to be part of the crowd. Without Troy by her side, she felt utterly naked and exposed. After swiftly sorting her things out, she slammed her locker door shut and made her way towards the office.

It was that receptionist again, that dull monotonous woman, and Sharpay wondered if the school would ever replace her. She seemed like such a downer. Today, the older lady was wearing a dark gray woolen sweater with snowflake patterns on it, even though the festive season was months away.

"Yes?"

"I'm here to see Mrs. Darbus," Sharpay politely informed her. "Is she in?"

The receptionist eyed her from the top of her tortoise-shell glasses. "Yes."

"Can I see her?"

"You may," she answered dismissively and continued typing stuff in her computer.

_Pleasant._

"Thank you."

With that, Sharpay strolled over to the brightly-decorated purple door to the right and lifted her hand to give it a couple of knocks.

"Come in."

The chirpy, ever-jovial voice that came from inside never ceased to bring a smile to her face. A small chuckle escaped her lips as she turned the knob and entered the room. "Hi, Mrs. Darbus."

The teacher's face lit up at the sight of her favourite blonde student. "Sharpay! You're just the person I was looking for! Come sit!"

Still grinning, Sharpay slid into one of the empty chairs and primly crossed her legs. Mrs. Darbus leaned forward on the desk and wriggled excitedly in her seat, her eyes twinkling behind her spectacles.

"I've got great news for you, Sharpay," she burbled. "I've just gotten off the phone with Mr. Parrish, the board director, and he was pleased to inform me that your proposal has been approved and we'll be receiving additional funds and resources for the school play."

She was rendered speechless.

_Did I just hear correctly?_

"It—it's approved?"

"Very much so," Mrs. Darbus confirmed, rummaging through the stack of papers in the tray until she found what she was looking for and slipped it across the table towards the younger girl. "Here's an official statement."

_I can't believe this!_

Sharpay grabbed the fax memo and skimmed through the contents. "Oh. My. God," she breathed. "We did it."

"He also mentioned that the board was really impressed with it, too."

"He did?"

"Don't need to seem so surprised, Sharpay," Mrs. Darbus said teasingly. "I _did_ tell you that it was amazing. There was absolutely no way the board could reject it."

She jumped over the table and gave her teacher a tight hug, practically tackling the older lady off her chair. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Darbus!" she squealed. "This is so awesome!"

"Oof!" Mrs. Darbus chortled just as Sharpay released her death grip and settled back down. "No, thank _you_, Sharpay. You've done a marvelous job on this so far."

"I can't wait to let Carmen know about this!" Her fingers were itching to dial the number of the orphanage and announce the good news.

"Yes, of course, dear. Just one more thing, though," Mrs. Darbus paused to sift through her stack of papers again. After a few seconds, Sharpay curiously peered over, where at last the teacher presented her with a bunch of slightly-wrinkled forms. "Here are the lists of people who've signed up for the auditions."

"Wow!" Sharpay exclaimed, her hazel eyes wide with surprise. "I didn't think so many students would be interested."

"I was looking through it earlier, and I happened to see that _Troy Bolton_ would be auditioning."

It was a natural bodily reaction for she couldn't help it. Yet, she tried to conceal her smile as much as possible. "Oh."

"Now, Sharpay, I know that he's helped you before," Mrs. Darbus began, her tone turning serious. When it came to a school production, she was never one to joke around. "But I just want to make sure that it wouldn't cause any sort of biasness. You're not going to give him an unfair advantage, are you?"

_Wait till she finds out that I'm actually dating him now_, she thought with an inward smirk.

"Mrs. Darbus, I'm insulted that you're questioning my decisions," Sharpay said in an off-putting manner, mildly peeved. She took absolute pride in the play and what was best for it. Heck, she'd done a whole lot more during their production of Twinkle Town just to make sure it looked flawless, even though she had to get her hands dirty. It hadn't gone like she had planned, but even she was one to give credit when it was due. "This is my year, this play is my baby, and I'm determined to do whatever it takes to make it perfect. You know, that I've always been a perfectionist at everything I do, and I promise you that it wouldn't affect anything. My casting calls are based on talent and merit, not friendly ties."

"Well, that's good to know, then."

The corner of Sharpay's lips twitched upwards a little when she noticed the knowing expression on her teacher's face.

_Busted._

* * *

Her meeting with Mrs. Darbus had gone on longer than she had anticipated—two hours longer, in fact—and the words were all starting to blur. They had sorted out names and fixed the schedule for tomorrow's audition, but there were still a few things that she needed to complete at home.

"So, I take it that should be all, right, Sharpay?"

She nodded, shuffling all the papers together. "Yup," she said, popping the last syllable. "I'll just print the rest at home."

"Great!" Mrs. Darbus grinned as she herself began packing her stuff. "Because I've got to run, now. My college roommate's having a reading at the downtown bookstore, and she's always been picky with punctuality."

"Your friend's a writer?"

"Well, she's actually a journalist. She's a got a column in the local newspaper, mostly writing about the community, but she's also got some great poetry on the sides."

A light bulb went off in Sharpay's head.

"Do you think she'll agree to help cover our school's production?" she asked, hopeful. A little more publicity would definitely help with the sales. "It'll be a great opportunity to promote the play."

"That's a really good idea, Sharpay," Mrs. Darbus agreed. "I'll ask her about it later on."

"Thanks, Mrs. Darbus! That would be amazing!" she gushed in excitement, already picturing the amount of coverage the orphanage would be getting.

"Great, then," the teacher chuckled, amused by her animated state. "I should get going now. Are you leaving?"

"Oh, yes!" Sharpay blurted out and haphazardly stuffed the papers into her satchel. "Sorry, I tend to—"

The teacher waved it off nonchalantly and headed for the exit. "That's okay, Shar," she told her student, holding the door open. "After you."

Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Sharpay tittered out of the room. The receptionist was still stationed at the entrance, her back pin-straight as she continued typing away on her keyboard, eyes trained on the glaring monitor. She glanced up at the two approaching figures and flashed Mrs. Darbus a weary smile.

"See you tomorrow, Jenny," the teacher piped out cheerfully. "Have a good evening."

"You too, Mrs. Darbus."

Sharpay wriggled her fingers as she passed by the uptight woman, receiving a noncommittal shrug in return. Pausing one last time at the doorway, both student and teacher exchanged their final pleasantries before parting ways. The corridors were empty now; her bouncy footsteps reverberated off the walls as she made her way towards her pink locker, jovially whistling a tune. Barely ten feet away, she noticed a familiar figure leaning against the wall.

Gasping in delight, she broke into a run and launched herself into his strong arms.

"Troy!" she giggled. "What are you doing here?"

He set her carefully down on her feet and then planted a kiss on her lips. "I had detention, remember?" he snickered. "I figured I'd wait for you and all since I was your ride to school anyways."

"How did you know I was still here?" she wondered, spinning the dial on the lock. The metal door popped open and she began unloading books from her bag.

"I have my sources," he said, a secretive glint in his clear cerulean blue eyes.

**She makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up  
****Just one touch and I erupt  
****Like a volcano and cover her with my love  
****Baby girl you make me say**

"You're not stalking me again, are you?" she teased, shutting her locker and turning to face her boyfriend.

Troy rested one hand on her hip and gave it an affectionate squeeze. "What's so wrong about that now?" He was smirking in that adorably handsome way, and it was doing all sorts of crazy in her stomach. The delicious tingles were back, and his touch sent a million zaps of electricity coursing through her nerve endings.

"Erm…no—nothing."

Goodness, he was reducing her to a stuttering mess.

"So, how did the meeting with Mrs. Darbus go?" he asked.

"Great!" she exclaimed. "The board approved our proposal!"

"Really?"

Nodding vigorously, her broad smile widened some more. "Uh-huh."

"That's awesome!" he cheered, enveloping her petite frame in his arms once again. "I told you the board would agree to it."

Her laughter echoed down the deserted hallway. "Do you know what this means?"

Troy dropped a quick peck on the tip of her nose. "It means that you can forget about sleeping for the next month or so?" he guessed jokingly.

With a pout, she playfully whacked his bicep, pretending to take offence. "No, you dumbass," she said with a dramatic roll of her hazel eyes. "This means that the orphanage can finally get the help they need."

"And it's all thanks to you," he murmured, his husky voice tickling the side of her ear.

Sharpay blushed a deep crimson. "You helped too," she breathed out.

**And I just can't think of anything else I'd rather do  
****Than to hear you sing, sing my name the way you do  
****When we do our thing when we do the things we do  
****Baby girl you make me say**

He propped his free hand right next to her head, resting his palm on the metal surface, and effectively trapping her between his warm, yielding body and the lockers behind her. The steel material was cold and hard, the bitterness digging into her skin contrasting drastically with his soft, burning caresses. "But you're the star," he insisted, his words were but a mere low whisper. Any semblance of self-control were banished to hell when he buried his face into the crook of her neck, attacking her main weakness.

Almost like an automatic switch, her senses kicked in with primal gusto. The raw desire that sparked within the innermost depths of her soul inflamed like never before, his domination over her every reaction turned her on so bad, her core was just aching to feel his essence. He pressed his front tighter up against her, his display so inappropriate in school grounds; she was thankful to the heavens above that nobody was around to witness it. This side of him, it wasn't something she wanted to share with half the population of students, and she hated to let anybody see her crumble in his dexterous hands.

**Sexy love girl the things you do  
****(Oh baby baby)  
****Keep me sprung, keep me running back to you  
****(Oh baby I)  
****Ooh I love making love to you  
****Baby girl you know you're  
****My sexy love**

Troy kissed his way up, mapping out her jaw line with his mouth until he reached her succulent rosy red lips as his fingers blindly grasped on to any form of material he could find. An uncharacteristic moan escaped her throat, giving him ample amount of play to slide his tongue into her honeyed cove. The mingling, the exchanging, the ongoing battle for more amplified her carnal desire for him. Driven by lust, she clutched a fistful of his soft, mahogany copper hair, hooking her other digits through the belt loops of his pants, and, if possible, tugged him closer to her. They were clinging desperately onto each other, their labored breaths turning into pants for air.

Their sexually compromising position couldn't have been any more graphic if they tried. Her dress had ridden up where he'd shoved the fabric aside in his quest to seek for more of her milky flesh, his palm now cupping one pert buttock while the other resting on the smooth curve of her waist. Her long, toned legs were wrapped around his tapered hips, drawing him possessively into her pliant physique as he drew his knee higher up her heated center. Sharpay shivered involuntarily with a want so all-consuming, it was taking every bit of willpower not to just rip his clothes off there and then, and have her way with him. Perhaps she was still drunk over the incredible turn of events, but the combination of teenage hormones and love-struck giddiness, was driving her over the edge.

"Troy…"

She was whimpering his name now, hoping that he'd pick up on her plea.

He paused for a moment, analyzing her intentions when a sudden wave of recognition washed over his boyish features. His ocean blue eyes were glazed over, his pupils dilated with arousal, and he tore his gaze away from hers to regard his surroundings.

**I'm so addicted to her she's the sweetest drug  
****Just enough, still too much  
****Say that I'm simp and I'm sprung [incomprehensible]  
****I can't help she makes me say**

Then, wordlessly, he grabbed her by the back of her thighs. "Hang on," he grunted, effortlessly lifting her off the ground.

Sharpay instinctively tightened her hold on him, looping her arms around his neck for better leverage as he abandoned all thoughts on their belongings and pulled them into a nearby supply closet some six feet away. She could feel his erection pressing up into her, creating a wonderful friction through the thin cloth of her panties, and couldn't hold back the shuddered mewls. Shifting his collar aside, Sharpay began nibbling on the juncture between his neckline and his throat—anything to occupy herself from yelling her thoughts out to the entire universe.

**And I just can't think of anything else I'd rather do  
****Than to hear you sing, sing my name the way you do  
****Baby when we do our thing, when we do the things we do  
****Oh, baby girl you make me say**

He stumbled clumsily through the small door. The room was dusty and dark, not exactly the most romantic or idealistic location, but at that instant, neither one of the teenagers could care less where they were. They were so fucking horny for each other it wasn't even funny anymore. Placing his girlfriend down on her feet, Troy blindly felt around for the light switch.

"Forget it," she growled.

Troy didn't protest. He found her aggression so damn erotic, and after murmuring something incoherent, he reattached his lips onto her soft, swollen ones as she fumbled with his belt buckles. Impatiently trying to rid him of his pants, her knuckles were brushing against his straining apex, and as he bit his lower lip to suppress a moan, he realized that if he didn't distract himself soon, he'd end up with a sticky mess in his junk. Swallowing another sharp intake of air, he crept his hands up to the waistband of her underwear, idly caressing the silky material in a teasing fashion, his feathering fingertips creating nothing but shockwaves down to her most sensitive region. He heard the drawing of his zipper, and an instant later, his pants and briefs were pooling by his feet.

**Oh baby what we do it makes the sun come up  
****Keep on lovin' 'til it goes back down  
****And I don't know what I'd do if I would lose your touch  
****That's why I'm always keepin' you around  
****My sexy love**

"Fuck!" he hissed, seeing the fireworks exploding behind his eyelids the moment he felt her warm palms encompassing his hardness. "I need you. Now."

"Do it."

With a grunt, he gave her panties a hard tug downwards before swiftly directing his throbbing manhood into her slick entrance.

**She makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up  
****Just one touch**

* * *

They slumped against the wall, totally spent from their most recent activity, and Sharpay was sure that if she weren't leaning against her boyfriend's muscular chest, with his strong arms wrapped around her petite frame, she would've melted straight to the floor—however gross that sounded at the moment. Her cheeks pressed directly above his heart, she listened to the steady thumps as his pulse returned to normal, a serene smile on her lips.

The reality of the situation hadn't really sunk in yet—the fact that they'd just had hot, steamy sex in the dingy supply closet was briefly lost to the fully-satisfied couple. God, she always thought of herself as someone with better class than that, less tacky and more sanitary, but there were things that Troy Bolton did to her that she couldn't explain. He sparked her hormones like heaven-sent fireballs to a point that she felt he had to come with a warning label—for the benefit of her and all women alike.

She giggled at the absurdity.

"What?" he asked, his voice a low rumble in his throat.

"Nothing, really, just that, we're disgusting," she snorted, poking his ribs.

He pulled away slightly and glanced down at her in confusion. "Disgusting?"

"We just totally skipped a million chapters of romance and gone straight to the slums with this, haven't we?" Sharpay craned her neck around to check out the surroundings.

Somewhere in the midst of their passionate lovemaking, one of them had triggered the light switch, and now in the sheer brightness they shared the blissful aftermath of post-coital giddiness. There were cleaning products everywhere, as well as a mop and a bucket, and she was suddenly reminded of that particular morning two weeks ago.

He chuckled in reply, his torso vibrating beneath her while he took in what she was referring to. "Oh, jeez."

"I think yours are on the door," she quipped with a roll of her eyes.

Troy took a quick glimpse over her shoulder. "Shit, we really are disgusting," he muttered sheepishly. "Please remind me to clean that up before we leave. I can't imagine having the janitor wipe my business."

"Just to be clear, we're never doing this again," she told him, shaking her head for emphasis.

"Agreed."

They stood together for a while longer, still locked in an embrace, simply enjoying the company of each other.

"Why don't we go out and celebrate?" she suggested, finally breaking the silence.

Smirking down at her, his face hovering inches away, his cerulean blue eyes twinkled devilishly. "I thought we just did," he snickered, gesturing between their sweaty, sticky naked bodies, glistening in the light.

Playfully, she lightly smacked his bicep. "That's not what I meant, you goof. I'm referring to the play," she clarified, shifting the damp hair off his forehead. "Why not we go some place nice for dinner?"

Troy clicked his tongue in disappointment, his expression apologetic. "I'm sorry, beautiful, I don't think I can. As embarrassing as this sounds, I'm actually on a strict curfew. My parents want me home straight after detention, and I'm already pushing it as it is."

"I'm sorry I got you into trouble with your folks," she sighed guiltily, carelessly drawing circles on his shoulder with one finger. "You're not grounded, are you?"

"I suppose, indirectly," he said nonchalantly. "But it's not your fault, Shar. Stop blaming yourself for this. At least my dad's not insisting I ride home with him."

"That would be a little harsh."

He grinned lopsidedly, his arms circling a little bit tighter around her. "Frankly, I'm just glad that I got away with not going home last Saturday."

"Does that mean you won't be able to stay over tonight?" she asked, jutting her lower lip out in a child-like pout. Even though she already knew the answer to that, she still figured it was rather fun to mess around with him a bit.

"Afraid not," he told her regretfully. "Besides, I don't think we'll be able to do much sleeping, anyway."

She inhaled in his musky scent. "True, but my bed misses you."

"Believe me, so do I," he said. "It wasn't fun at all sleeping alone last night."

"Then maybe we shouldn't leave," she mumbled, nuzzling her nose into the side of his neck, placing a kiss on the one spot she knew would drive him crazy.

"You have no idea how tempting that sounds right now, Shar," he slurred, his head lolling to the side, providing her with better access.

"But…?"

"I _really_ have to go before my dad starts calling to check up on me, and I can assure you it wouldn't be pretty," he told her before reluctantly peeling himself off her luxurious form. "Come on, let me send you home."

* * *

"There you are, Troy. Where have you been?"

He'd expected as much from his mother even before he'd entered the house, and was actually pleasantly surprised that she had waited till he passed by the kitchen instead of ambushing him at the door like he'd thought she would. After all, he was over an hour late. He also noticed that his dad was nowhere in sight, which could only mean that the older Bolton was either in the shower or in the study room, trying to avoid his dinner chores. Regardless, the plan was to avoid any form of parental contact and escape up to his room undetected so that he could take a nice warm shower before his mum or dad started interrogating him on his whereabouts.

_Well, so much for that, _he thought.

Dumping his bag next to the sofa, Troy followed the mouth-watering aroma of home-cooked food and shuffled into the kitchen to find his mother making mashed potatoes for dinner, a scrumptious-looking beef lasagne sitting perfectly in the oven. He walked around the center island to give his mother a quick peck on the cheek, feeling his stomach grumble.

"Hi, mum," he greeted with a tired smile. "What's for dinner?"

"Goodness, Troy, you stink!" she commented, giving his armpit a tentative sniff. Her nose scrunched up in recoil. "What have you been doing?"

He attempted to hide his smirk by taking a whiff of his shirt, inhaling the evidence of his recent escapade. "Serving detention," he answered as innocently as possible.

"What did the teachers make you do? Swim in a pool full of sweaty socks?" she rhetorically wondered out loud, pushing him back out into the hallway. "Why don't you go and take a shower? I'll prepare dinner by the time you're done."

Faking a protest, he slumped his shoulders and unleashed his puppy-dog eyes on her the way he had since elementary school. It had worked wonders when he was younger, he only hoped she was still buying it now. "Can't I take a shower after dinner?"

"You're not seven, Troy," she frowned. "Please go and clean up."

"Fine," he relented, happy that he was free from her clutches. "But I want an extra serving of your delicious lasagne."

"Sure, honey."

That said and done, Troy grabbed his belongings and headed for the stairs.

"Oh, and a package arrived for you, Troy," his mother said just as he was about to climb up the first step. "I've left it on your bed."

He paused then, one hand poised on the wooden railing. "Thanks, mum," he called out and trudged the rest of the way up to his room. True enough, there was a box sitting atop his pile of blanket and dirty clothes.

Carelessly tossing his backpack aside, Troy took the neatly wrapped parcel in his hands, noting its rather heavy weight. He held it up and turned it around, inspecting every square inch for relevant clues. Apart from the bright green label with his name printed on it, nothing on the outside was relatively helpful, save for the yellow wrapping paper that might or might not hold any form of significance.

_What if it's a bomb? Or worse, what if it's a snake?_

He gave the package a slight shake. Hearing various objects rattling around, he figured it was harmless enough and didn't contain anything particularly fragile, but nevertheless gingerly set the box down on the bed again.

And then, taking a deep breath, he lifted the lid.

What he saw, the things that were in the box, it was a punch to his gut.

Like black and white memories that he didn't want to relive.

Reaching in, his mildly trembling fingers enclosed around a wooden object, and when he extracted it out, found it to be a pink photo frame, perfectly decorated with red hearts, bordering an image that now appeared to mock him like a slap to the face.

The two teenagers in the picture looked so happy, so in-love as they shared an intimate hug on the darkened theatre stage, the spotlight beaconing their perfect moment. They wore matching winning smiles, the victory apparent on their youthful faces as they waited to take their final bows. It had been such a magical evening for them, and for everyone who shared their joy.

Involuntarily, a smile crept upon his lips as he reminisced, his gaze trailing down to the dark-haired girl he once used to call his soul mate. A pang of nostalgia hit him out of nowhere, shortly accompanied by the dreadful lull of guilt. He missed her something awful—the old simple-minded and selfless side of her—even though he was actually glad to discover this whole other persona and learnt what an insecure, over-possessive girl that she currently was. How differently everything had turned out for them and fallen apart in such a short period of time.

However, those feelings he had harbored for her before were now but an empty void in his life, replaced by something bigger.

Better.

Still, he regretted ever having to hurt her physically or emotionally.

He allowed the photograph to fall out of his hands, and then began digging through the rest of the items in the box, slowly realizing what the contents actually meant.

Gabriella was giving him his stuff back.

_But, why?_

Was she trying to move on as well?

Fishing his phone out of his pocket, his fingers hovered over the buttons as he contemplated whether or not he ought to give his ex-girlfriend a call. He definitely didn't want to feed her any ideas, and he was rather afraid that she might misinterpret his intentions for something more. Gabriella might just end up thinking that he actually cared, which, despite all that she had put him through—as a friend—he unfortunately still did, although he truly didn't want to risk it. The last thing he needed was another misunderstanding, especially since he was now with Sharpay.

_Sharpay!_

No, he probably shouldn't let her know about this. She was already stressed enough without needing to deal with his petty problems, there was no point in adding any unnecessary burden. He saw how nervous she had been earlier in school, and even though she tried not to show it, he was aware of how bothered she really was. High school students were ruthless beings, and they were built to tear each other down. Catty remarks and mean comments were the tools used to survive the treacherous seas of teenage angst. Yet, he knew that Sharpay was royalty. People can say all they wanted, but nobody was stupid enough to lay a finger on her. Therefore, to be the only one able to witness her cower away from the judgmental advances, it was something even Troy Bolton couldn't comprehend. He didn't want to fracture her fragile state.

On the other hand, though, she would probably kick his ass and chop his limbs up if she found out that he was hiding something like this from her. As his girlfriend, she deserved to know, and as her boyfriend, he was obligated to the 'no secrets' rule.

Her phone rang for a few seconds before she answered it.

"Hey, Troy," she burbled happily from the other end of the receiver.

Just hearing her melodic voice brought a wide grin to his face. He envisioned her lying down on the bed, her cell phone lodged between her ear and shoulder, perhaps painting a fresh coat of polish to her toes. "Hey, gorgeous," he crooned back.

"What's up? Miss me already?"

"Always," he said to her. "But listen, I need to talk to you about something."

"Uh-oh. Is everything alright?"

Troy cleared his throat, not sure where to begin. "Yeah, well, I don't know. I was actually hoping that you could tell me."

"About what, exactly?"

"I don't want you to freak out or anything, okay, but—"

"Troy, you're starting to scare me," she told him with nervous laughter. "What's going on?"

_Just like a Band-Aid,_ he silently coached.

"When I got home just now, I received a package."

"What sort of package?" she asked.

He swallowed thickly and began pacing the length of his bed. "It's a box," he explained. "From Gabriella."

"Oh? What's inside?"

"They're all the stuff that was mine while we were still together," he confessed, stopping in his tracks to peer down at the various trinkets. He spied a familiar movie ticket stub and cautiously picked it up to read the prints.

_When did we watch this?_ he wondered.

Sharpay's voice, now sounding quieter and more reserved jolted him back to the present. "Did she leave you a note?"

"No, not that I know of," he muttered, tossing the tab back into the box.

"Okay, well, are all the things in there just yours?"

Troy scoped through the items and then spotted a locket that he'd once given to his ex-girlfriend. His frowned as he held it up, inspecting the jewelry against the afternoon sunlight. "Erm…well, there's the necklace that I had given her as a birthday present," he informed her. "But, actually, now that you mention it, none of the stuff in here technically belongs to me."

"None?" the blonde deadpanned. "At all?"

Subconsciously, he shook his head as he continued searching through the box, but then realized that she couldn't see him. "Yeah, they're just some useless stuff, like dinner coupons and some photographs too. Why, does that mean something?"

She sighed from the other end of the line. "Okay, well, I don't know how to tell you, Troy, but clearly Gabriella's still in love with you, and she refuses to let go."

"You sure?" he asked uncertainly. "What if she's trying to move on, you know? She just doesn't want to have anything to do with me anymore."

"Then she would've thrown everything away, or burned them or something, wouldn't she?" his girlfriend calmly pointed out. "I mean, after what you've just told me, I think that she clearly wants to remind you of all the good times you two had together before you guys broke up."

Troy quirked an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side. "Why would she want to do that?"

"Oh, God, Troy, don't make me spell it out for you."

"Darling, I have no idea what's going on in a girl's head," he groaned. "Just tell me, okay?"

He reckoned that she was probably rolling her eyes right at that moment. "Your dear Gabzilla wants you back," she clarified, slowly enunciating every word.

Skeptically, he studied the box of items again. "Are you sure?"

"Look, she tossed me a note during Spanish class reminding me to stay away from you," she divulged, somewhat hesitantly. "If that doesn't scream 'bitter ex-girlfriend', then I don't know what does."

His cerulean orbs widened in disbelief. "She threatened you?"

"She tried, though, but the orange sharpie wasn't nearly as intimidating." There was an amused chuckle at the end of her sentence, and he relaxed a little, glad that she wasn't fretting about the situation.

"Jesus, that bitch doesn't stop."

"She's actually the least of my worries, Troy," Sharpay replied easily.

"So, what do I do now?" he questioned, because after all, it was the main reason he had called her to begin with.

The line got silent for a few seconds. "That's really up to you, Troy," she said, her voice soft and apprehensive. "Those are your memories too."

On that note, they bid each other farewell and he hung up the phone, tossing the device onto the duvet. Grabbing the box by its corners, he stared down at the numerous mementos—now a completely different meaning to him—and deliberated on a decision. He squinted at the items, hoping to find an immediate answer in the midst of all that irrelevant pile, only to come to a realization that they were all exactly what it was to him.

Irrelevant.

Nothing in that box stirred any form of emotions in his heart. Sure, he had been nostalgic at first, but as he glanced down at them now, he couldn't locate feelings beyond disappointment and regret. They were all just shadows of the past.

Shadows that had disappeared in the light of his future.

Shadows that he didn't need accompanying him in this new chapter in his life.

A garbage truck pulled up by the sidewalk, and without another moment's doubt, Troy lifted the package into his arms and sprinted out of the house where he promptly handed the bulky load over to the trash collector, watching as the man dumped the entire thing into the opening of the vehicle.

_I guess this means goodbye._

* * *

She needed to get out of the house. The space and solitude was suddenly overwhelming, and after that phone conversation with Troy, she figured that she ought to get some fresh air even though the rooms and entertainment were boundless in that huge mansion.

For the first time in a long while, Sharpay was feeling incredibly lonely. Everything was so spotless and tidy, it was like living with a family of ghosts, but perhaps that was what they were. Her parents were constantly on long business trips, and her brother wouldn't even look at her long enough to even be in the same room, so he opted to avoid her altogether. Instead of creating unwanted opportunities, he simply didn't return home.

She absolutely hated the way Ryan was treating her, absolutely detested how he always thought she was incapable of piloting her own life, and although she was glad that he was currently out of her hair, she couldn't deny that she missed his company. During depressing spells like this, he'd always manage to figure out ways to distract her. From curling up on the sofa and watching one of her favourite movies, to competing against each other in a game of pool, Ryan had always succeeded in filling the gaps.

He knew how to bake a mean batch of brownies too.

If only he would just try and understand her.

Hopping off the bed, Sharpay headed to her walk-in wardrobe for a quick change of clothes before grabbing her car keys and pocketing her cellphone, and made her way down to the kitchen where she was sure that Mrs. Collingsworth had left some food for her and Ryan in the refrigerator. Bounding into the room, she tossed her keys carelessly on the center island and threw open the huge metallic door of her fridge. Poking her head into the cooler, she soon discovered a full tray of the housekeeper's delicious meatloaf, coupled with a bowl of coleslaw and a plate of cheesecake. It was definitely more than what Sharpay could eat on her own, so she figured she could drop by and pay the older woman a visit. She had enough right there to feed an entire platoon of soldiers anyway, and reckoned it would be better than wasting all the food.

With the food already nicely wrapped in cling wrap, she tucked the bowl of coleslaw under one arm, held the meatloaf in one hand and the plate of cheesecake in another before snatching her keys up, and heading for the garage. She unlocked her car and after setting the food down carefully in the passenger's seat, she buckled down and pulled out of the space.

The journey didn't take long, but it was still relatively nice to be out of the house. The cool night air caressed her warm skin, playing with the blonde strands of her hair, and despite the lull of the night, she found that she very much appreciated the silence. After all the drama that had been going on in the day, it was a pleasant change to simply just unwind. Leaning back on the headrest, her thoughts wandered back to her phone conversation with Troy and she heaved an exhausted sigh.

She can already tell that it was going to be a never-ending battle, but then again, like everything else in her life, ever since she was born, Sharpay always had to learn to fight. It wasn't a choice; it was a necessity. At least this time, she knew that there was somebody by her side. Even so, she wished it wasn't under such raven circumstances. She knew the repercussion of her Ice Queen days would one day haunt her and punish her with vengeance, but never in her wildest nightmares did it occur to her that she would be punished for falling in love with Troy Bolton.

The luxury of positive outcomes was rarely entrusted to her, but when they did, they never stayed for long. For Sharpay, the best things were always short-lived.

Always.

And she couldn't help the creeping feeling that this happiness with the one boy she truly loved would no doubt be snatched away before she knew it.

And she was scared.

Terrified.

But above all that, she was numb.

How was it that the world kept on playing such cruel jokes on her time and again?

Paying very little attention to the road, she realized the stoplight turn red only seconds before she needed to, and she slammed on the brake pedals, screeching to a sudden halt just as a tabby-colored stray cat sprinted across right in front of her car. She lurched forward with the impact, but the safety of her seat belt jerked her back to position.

"Holy shit."

Eyes wide with shock, she sat frozen on the spot, her fingers curled tightly around the steering wheel while she willed herself to breathe, feeling her chest constrict. The familiarity of the situation made her panic, and she started coughing, sealing her lids shut, desperately gasping for air. Peeling her hands away, she scrambled for the buckle, attempting to release herself from the wretched device. Droplets of moisture had begun gathering on her forehead with her struggle, and when she heard the satisfied click, immediately tore it free from her body.

"Shar? Sharpay?"

She failed to recognize the voice, laced with immense fear and concern, and the pulsing in her ears made everything sound muffled, but the burning pain that was shooting right in her center overwhelmed her ability to see. Her vision was waning, the darkness slowly taking over, tempting her to surrender to the lull like it always did.

**I'm dying to catch my breath  
****Oh, why don't I ever learn?  
****I've lost all my trust  
****Though I've surely tried to turn it around**

But then again, like everything else in her life, ever since she was born, Sharpay always had to learn to fight.

"Shar, stay awake, alright, little doe. I've got you."

"Dan."

It came out as a breathless whisper, but she knew he caught it.

"I've got you, alright?"

"It hurts."

"Stay with me. You have to stay with me. Fight it, Sharpay."

Her lungs were scorching, her words reduced to mere wheezing as she tried to vocalize her thoughts. He was cradling her face in his hands, forcing her gaze on his handsome features, etched with emotions she couldn't begin to express, and in the midst of it all, she shivered. Gulping mouthfuls of air, her fingers grappled on the soft material of his flannel shirt, frantically grasping on to her lifeline—her savior.

"Dan—"

"Shh…" he whispered softly, soothingly caressing her porcelain cheeks. "Just breathe, Shar. You can do it. Long breaths. Take long breaths and calm down."

She quickly found a rhythm, inhaling and exhaling, and focused on slowing her pulse down, but every time she tried to swallow, her throat would close up and grate like sand paper, and it didn't help with her coughs. Hazel eyes locked into his cyan ones as she silently plead for him to help ease her pain.

"Oh, God," he growled, sliding his arms down between the leather and her legs. With the other arm, he supported her back, and promptly lifted her out of the car. Instinctively, her hands snaked up to loop around his neck. The next thing she knew, he was running down towards the nearest house.

**Can you still see the heart of me?  
****All my agony fades away  
****When you hold me in your embrace**

Without even bothering to knock on the door, he barged in and gently set her down on the sofa just as Mrs. Collingsworth came in from the dining room to check. "What's going on? What's all the noise about?" she asked.

"Sharpay had another attack," Dan explained, brushing past the older lady to head towards the kitchen. "I'm going to get her some water."

"Oh, dear!" Mrs. Collingsworth exclaimed, rushing to the blonde girl's aid. She found Sharpay curled up in a ball, and then sat down on the armrest of the couch to push away the golden curls that had fallen over the teenager's face. "Sharpay, do you have your medication with you?"

"No," was all she managed to mumble out.

"When was the last time you took them?" the housekeeper wanted to know.

Before Sharpay was able to answer her, Dan had returned with a glass of plain water. Kneeling in front of his friend, he gestured for Mrs. Collingsworth to assist him in sitting her up, and held the drink up to her lips.

"Take a sip, Shar," he coaxed.

She gratefully accepted the water, and as the liquid slid down to quench her parched throat, she was finally able to breathe again, as though a giant weight had been lifted off her ribcage. Taking a moment to compose herself once again and stabilize her heart rate, Sharpay reached up to wipe the sweat from her brows.

"Thank you," she murmured. "Dan, what are you doing here?"

He placed the cup down on the coffee table and leaned up so that their noses were inches apart. "I was visiting," he smirked, and she was reminded of why she loved him so much. He didn't make a big fuss out of anything. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I was feeling bored at home," she shrugged her shoulders. "So I thought I'd stop by bearing food, and see how Lucy is doing."

"How fast were you going, little doe?" Dan snickered, his eyes twinkling mischievously even though the distress was ghosting on the surface. "I was about to leave when I heard a car screech, and I thought to check it out in case there's been an accident of some sort."

"I was trying not to beat the red light," Sharpay muttered quietly.

He rolled his eyeballs. "Let me just park your car so nobody would try and steal it. I can't guarantee your food will still be in there, though. A bear could've already swiped it off."

His dry humor wasn't appreciated. "Whatever."

Dropping a chaste kiss to the crown of her head, he let out one last chuckle and hurried out of the door to fetch her vehicle.

"I'm very worried about you, Sharpay," Mrs. Collingsworth told her. "Have you actually taken your dinner?"

"I was thinking we can all eat it together," she replied, glancing down guiltily at her nails.

"Good Lord," the woman chided. "Sweetheart, you know what happens to you when you don't eat."

Her cheeks flamed a deep shade of crimson. "I guess I overestimated myself. There was a cat that ran in front of my car, and it freaked me out a bit."

There were light thumping footsteps, and Sharpay turned to see her beloved dog shuffling down the hallway, her nose trailing on the carpet. "Hey, Lucy!" she called out.

The Border Collie's pair of shaggy ears perked up at the sound of her distinct voice, and her sloppy tongue hung excitedly out of her mouth. Sharpay gently slapped on her thigh to signal the direction, which Lucy had no trouble locating and started bounding for the blonde girl. The dog's wet nose came in contact with her palms, nudging her hands for a complimentary scratch of affection. Giggling at the canine's antics, Sharpay reached over and rubbed the soft fur behind its ears.

**Don't tear me down for all I need  
****Make my heart a better place  
****Give me something I can believe**

"How are you doing, girl?" she cooed. Lucy responded by propping her two front paws on Sharpay's lap and poking her nose beneath the girl's jaw.

"Oh, look, _now_ she leaves the room," Dan grumbled as he returned back with an armful of food. "Only for Sharpay and no one else."

"Look who's all jealous," Sharpay teased him. "Do I need to tickle your belly too, Dan Patch?"

He rolled his eyes and headed for the kitchen. "Be my guest," he called over his shoulder.

**Don't tear me down  
****You've opened the door now  
****Don't let it close**

Snickering under her breath, Sharpay ran her fingers through Lucy's thick coat, smiling when the dog settled down between her feet and started falling asleep. Sometimes the teenager wondered if life was so much easier as a pet, where everything's so simple and love wasn't complicated. Lucy had so many people who cared for her, and Sharpay envied how the dog was able to perceive the world in such a colorful light, even though she was blind.

Her reverie was interrupted when she felt the cushion move beneath her and turned at see Dan slumping down on the sofa, his arms outstretched on the backrest. "You're not hanging out with Troy tonight, Shar?" he asked.

Leaning back on the couch, she shook her head and replied, "not tonight. He's been put on a strict curfew by his folks."

Dan grimaced. "Ouch. That's got to sting."

She sighed and absentmindedly ran her fingers up and down the side of the seat. "Yeah. He's fine with it, but I always feel guilty. I mean, he _did_ get into trouble because of me."

He softly nudged her elbow. "I'm sure he thinks it's worth it."

Sharpay cracked a smile and playfully jostled him back. "What about you? No plans?"

Dan bent down to tickle Lucy's chest. "Not really," he explained. "I was bored at home and Orange was being lazy, so I decided to drop by and try my luck to see if Mrs. C. had baked any goodies for me."

"How come it always sounds extra perverted when you say it?"

"Maybe it's because you have a dirty mind, you filthy little girl," Dan retorted good-naturedly, trailing his index finger down the bridge of her nose.

She narrowed her hazel eyes to appear as intimidating as possible without corpsing. "You're asking for it, you know."

He showcased his pearly whites at her. "I know."

"Alright, you two, come have some supper before it gets cold again," Mrs. Collingsworth yelled out from the kitchen. "Dan, if you have to drag Sharpay by her hair, please do so."

Before he could get any ideas, Sharpay shot him a deadly glare, a silent warning that she would physically hurt him if he tried anything funny. Already predicting as such, Dan simply chortled and jumped to his feet, holding a hand out for her to take. Satisfied that he wasn't going to manhandle her, Sharpay accepted his gesture and allowed him to pulled her up. The motion wasn't lost to Lucy, and she stood in an alert stance.

"Come on, girl, let's go eat," Sharpay told the dog. "There's meatloaf."

She seemed to understand the blonde enough to pad all the way to the dining area, with Sharpay and Dan following suit, their fingers still intertwined. The simple bond they shared was unlike any other, and Sharpay was thankful that he was there to make everything easier. Sitting around the circular table, the blonde felt her mouth watering as she gazed down at the spread that had been laid out in front of her. Aside from the amount of food that she had brought with her, Mrs. Collingsworth had tossed in a bowl of salad with some delicious homemade Italian dressing, whipped potatoes with gravy sauce, deep-fried chicken wings, and a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies. Forget everything else; this was going to be the death of her, she was sure of it.

"Well, little doe, look who's trying to fatten you up," Dan teased, gently nudging the girl in the ribs. To the caretaker, he playfully joked, "if I'd known you were preparing a feast, I'd come by more often."

The older woman chuckled as she sat herself down next to him. "Well, it's not often enough that I get visitors around here."

"Don't pamper him too much, Mrs. C," Sharpay quipped, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Now that he's aware of our little secret, he's never going to leave you alone."

"Now, now, play nice," Dan reached out to tweak her ear.

"Shut up and eat, Dan Patch."

* * *

He had received multiple text messages from Gabriella, all of which were just short spurts, requesting for him to give her a call. On her fifth attempt, Troy didn't even bother reading it before effectively deleting the unwarranted attention. It was starting to get painfully annoying, just like everything else she had been doing. He wondered if she knew of her discarded items, but frankly, he couldn't give a damn. Much like those memories in that box, she was a part of the past that he wanted to erase and not acknowledge. He wanted nothing to do with her anymore.

**I'm here on the edge again  
****I wish I could let it go  
****I know that I'm only one step away  
****From turning it around**

Therefore, he did the one thing he probably should've done a long time ago. Scrolling through the contacts on his cellphone, Troy found the name he was looking for. His thumb hovered over the command, and without a moment's hesitation, he erased all of the information that tallied with the brunette, and then it was as though a giant weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

_Step one: done._

Troy booted up his laptop, and waited for the social networking webpage to load. He wasn't the most avid of users, but he was sure that practically half of the school stalked the site like one of those celebrity tabloids. What a better way to get his point across than to officially mend his status. He scanned through all the people that were listed as his friends, and chanced upon someone named 'Troyella', with a photo of him and Gabriella attached as an avatar. Curious as to what it was, he clicked on it and was brought to a page dedicated to his past relationship with the Montez girl. Irritation crept into his body, and it irked him how invested people were in his personal life, though at the same time wondering if his ex-girlfriend was behind this as well. Ridden with disgust, Troy exited the window and continued with his initial motive.

**Can you still see the heart of me?  
****All my agony fades away  
****When you hold me in your embrace**

He got to what he was looking for; saw that his ex-girlfriend still had herself labeled as 'it's complicated'—whatever the hell that meant—and promptly blocked her off from his circle of friends. Later, he proceeded to search for Sharpay, feeling like an awful person when he realized that he still had her 'friend request' on his notifications from months ago. It wasn't that he was a particularly obnoxious person; he just hadn't thought it was necessary. He had, after all, still been with Gabriella, and like any sane guy, he didn't want to go through the hassle of explaining to his then-girlfriend why her supposed enemy had been accepted in the clique.

_Fuck the status quo._

Attaching the cable to his cellphone, Troy uploaded the photos of Sharpay that he had taken that morning when he went over to pick her up for school. Displayed on the larger screen, he couldn't deny how she was even more stunning. Sure, the camera did justice to her beauty, but it couldn't hold a candle to her in person. Returning to his profile page, Troy changed his status, simultaneously announcing to the entire world that he was currently in a relationship, with one Sharpay Evans, and posted a picture of her to go with it. Finally satisfied, he sent a quick text to the blonde Goddess that lingered in his head, reminding her to check her account.

**Don't tear me down for all I need  
****Make my heart a better place  
****Give me something I can believe**

Seconds later, he was flooded with the endless comments from his schoolmates. Zeke was the first to congratulate him, punctuating his caps-lock laden message with a smiley emoticon. The next one was Kelsi, and though it surprised him a bit that she was supporting him—despite the fact that she was close to Sharpay's twin brother—made him warm inside. By the time he was done reading all of the replies, it felt like half the school had made their approvals known.

Still, there was only one person he was waiting for to log on and tag his page.

The one person that mattered most to him.

**Don't tear it down, what's left of me  
****Make my heart a better place**

* * *

A true gentleman would send a girl right to her doorstep, and Dan Patch was certainly raised as such. Of course he hadn't allowed her to return home all on her own. In fact, he'd insisted, and then argued and presented his case, and ultimately resulted in begging for her to quit being such a stubborn mule so that he could escort her back to the Evans' mansion.

Truthfully, he'd stalk her from behind even if she hadn't agreed to it. After her incident earlier on, he didn't want to risk anymore harm to her. At least she understood his sentiment. He had even considered driving her back, and then calling for a cab to get home, but she had been adamant on going behind the wheel.

Pulling up at her private driveway, Dan killed the engine of his truck and hopped out of his vehicle just as Sharpay slid out of hers. She grinned genuinely up at him as they stood on the porch, his hands jammed into the pockets of his pants. He peeked up at the windows, noting that the entire house was dark, save for the lights that illuminated the exterior, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"So…"

"Is Ryan at home?" he asked.

Sharpay shook her head, her blonde curls swishing elegantly from side to side before cascading down her shoulders. "Nobody's home. Ryan is probably over at Kelsi's."

"Are you going to be alright all alone?"

She shrugged her shoulders like it wasn't a big deal. "Yeah, I suppose."

He hesitated for a moment, wondering if what he was about to ask her was appropriate because she had a boyfriend, after all, and he'd hate himself if there was any chance at all that it would be his fault to mess their relationship up. In the time he'd known Sharpay, he had never truly seen her this happy before, albeit the trials and tribulations that still haunted her every second of the day. No way in hell would he be that person who would screw it all up.

**I tried many times but nothing was real  
****Make it fade away, don't break me down  
****I want to believe that this is for real  
****Save me from my fear, don't tear me down**

Honestly, if it was possible, he never wanted to feel this way about her. He loved her way too much to lose what amazing friendship they had going on, even just for a shot at something his wishful thinking sought out. She didn't need it from him, and he wasn't a fucking idiot.

"Would you like some company?"

Her expression was difficult to read, which was a rare occurrence for an actress who talks through her eyes, and all of sudden, he felt like a total douche. He didn't know what he was thinking; didn't know what had possessed him to make such a bold attempt, but he really did care for her safety and in a way, as a friend, he felt responsible for her wellbeing. Perhaps he could salvage whatever was left of the situation.

"Like old times?"

He felt obligated to include that in.

**Don't tear me down for all I need  
****Make my heart a better place  
****Give me something I can believe**

Nervously waiting for an answer, Dan started rocking on the balls of his feet, watching as the corner of her cherry-red lips twitched upwards in that same familiar smile that was only meant for him.

**Don't tear it down, what's left of me  
****Make my heart a better place**

"Sure."

* * *

**A/N:** And there you go! Took forever, didn't it? Again, I apologize for the delay. I got hung up with my other two fanfics and I just sort of lost the momentum for this one. However, I did receive a PM a few days before, and a reader asked if I was continuing on this, and I realized I needed to get this done. So, I picked my ass, and I started going. I told myself not to look back, and honestly, I didn't even proof-read this, so it's actually right out of the oven. LOL!

**XxXxPrincessSamzxXxX:** Hi there! I'm so super sorry for the really long wait in updating my story! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing the previous chapter! I'm glad you've enjoyed the Troypay in Chapter 33 :D

**xGuiltyxPleasure:** Hello there! Gosh, I am terribly sorry for the really long wait on this update! I feel so bad now, but thank you so much for reading and reviewing my previous chapter! LOL! Ryan is definitely being such a brat, and I just want to strangle him right now, but at least he doesn't make an appearance on this chapter, so I'm good :D For Gabriella, I think you probably hate her more after this update, but every story needs a relentless villain, so unfortunately Gabriella is just that in this story. Troy is just perfect, isn't he? I want to buy one of him and bring him home with me so that I can cuddle him at night. LOL! I hope you liked the steamy scenes between Troy and Sharpay in this chapter. I know it doesn't make up for my tardiness, though, but hopefully you've enjoyed it!

**Anna:** Hi there! I am so sorry for the incredibly late update! Thank you so much for reading and previewing my previous chapter! I really appreciate it! I'm glad you liked the Troy and Sharpay interactions! I want to drown both Ryan and Gabriella in a bottomless ocean, but they're quite important in the story. Think of it this way: the more they try to destroy Troy and Sharpay, they more likely their love for each other might grow stronger.

**Duhhitskatieox:** Hello there! I'm so sorry for the late update! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing the previous chapter! I really appreciate it! Your reaction to Ryan is perfectly understandable. I want to murder him and Gabriella right now, but they're kind of important, so I can't do that, unfortunately. Hope you've enjoyed this update!

**62toasters62:** Hi! First of all, I am so sorry for the really late update! Secondly, thank you so much for reading and reviewing the previous chapter! It means so much to me! Ryan and Gabriella had been irritating me every time I write a scene with their characters inside, but every story needs at least one villain, and as much as I want to kill them off, they're quite important to the story. LOL! Hope you've enjoyed this chapter!

**Uptown:** Hi there! I'm so sorry for the delay in updating this story! I'd like to thank you for reading and reviewing, even though you did so in chapter 2, but I truly appreciate it! I'm glad you liked the song lyrics. It helps express certain things that I'm unable to express, and it's always nice to have a backing soundtrack every time I read or write a story. Hope you've enjoyed reading this chapter!

**Delena1101:** Hi there! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, and for leaving wonderful comments! Hope you've enjoyed this chapter!

Songs used — "Sexy Love" by Ne-Yo and "All I Need" by Within Temptation


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